Macron Pushes for EU-Wide Ban on Social-Media Access for Under-15s

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally asked the European Commission to draft EU legislation prohibiting children younger than 15 from accessing social-media platforms. The request was made in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dated August 29. The appeal follows the French Constitutional Council’s August 14 decision that struck down the central provision of France’s own under-15 ban as disproportionate.

The Straits Times

France’s national attempt to block under-15s from platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, X, Instagram, YouTube’s social features, WhatsApp and Messenger was set to take effect on September 1 but was invalidated by the Conseil constitutionnel. Macron said a European-level text could address the drafting flaws and privacy concerns.

The Next Web (TNW)

The Commission is developing age-verification tools and has received expert recommendations for a tiered access system: children under 13 would receive limited, supervised access, with restrictions easing as they age. France, Denmark and Greece support a minimum age of 15; Spain has floated a 16-year threshold and Estonia opposes any blanket ban.

Macron seeks EU social media ban for under-15s

A recent study surveying 29,169 children across 19 European countries found that age-based restrictions could lower certain online risks but would also curtail access to information, learning resources and peer interaction. Researchers concluded that bans alone would be insufficient and recommended safer platform design, stronger corporate accountability, digital-literacy programmes and targeted support for vulnerable youths.

Macron seeks EU social media ban for under-15s

• Macron’s letter emphasizes the urgency of a unified EU ban to protect minors.

The Straits Times

• Von der Leyen has said the Commission plans to limit young children’s access to social media across the 27-member bloc, citing expert proposals for a tiered system.

The Straits Times

• The Commission has prepared an age-verification app that can operate without revealing users’ exact birth dates, though privacy advocates warn that any system requiring identity checks may clash with EU data-protection rules.

The Next Web (TNW)

Children’s-rights group EU Kids Online warned that excluding children from social media does not automatically make them safer and could push youths toward less-regulated spaces. Academics and other child-rights advocates have echoed these concerns, urging policymakers to focus on underlying causes of online harm—such as cyberbullying, algorithmic manipulation and social isolation—rather than blanket prohibitions.

Macron seeks EU social media ban for under-15s Macron Calls for EU-Wide Legislation Banning Social Media for Children Under 15

• The French Constitutional Council deemed the national ban’s age-verification requirement insufficiently protective of privacy, while the EU Commission’s forthcoming verification system aims to address this gap.

The Next Web (TNW)

• Some member states favour a 15-year minimum, but the European Parliament backs a 16-year threshold, indicating a lack of consensus on the exact age limit.

Macron seeks EU social media ban for under-15s

• “I believe it has now become essential to go further and, through a new European legislative text, harmonise a ban on access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15, in order to protect all children across the union,” — Emmanuel Macron

The Straits Times

Commission President von der Leyen is scheduled to deliver her State of the Union address to the European Parliament on September 16, where she is expected to outline the next steps for EU-wide age-restriction proposals.

The Straits Times