French lawmakers will start debating a proposed law this month aimed at protecting children from excessive screen time – including a ban on social media access for under-15s by September and a ban on mobile phone use in secondary schools.
The initiative is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said in his end-of-year address on Wednesday that there was a need to “protect our children and teenagers from social networks and screens.”
Earlier this month, Macron said parliament would begin debating the proposal in January.
“Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” the draft law says.
Children with unrestricted online access can be exposed to “inappropriate content” and may face cyber-harassment or changes to their sleep patterns, the government said.
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Digital protection
The draft law has two articles. One would make illegal “the provision by an online platform of an online social media service to a minor under 15.” The second calls for a ban on mobile phone use in secondary schools.
Macron has said protecting minors online is a priority for his government, but enforcement and compliance with international law have raised problems in the past.
France breached European Union rules with a law setting a “digital legal age” of 15 passed in 2023, which has since been blocked.
An ban on mobile phone use in pre-schools and middle-schools came into force in 2018, but is rarely enforced.
In September 2024, some middle schools across France trialled a “digital pause,” banning mobile phone use for the entire school day rather than simply requiring phones to be switched off.
The Senate, France’s upper house, this month backed a separate initiative to protect teenagers from excessive screen time and social media use. It includes a requirement for parental authorisation for children aged 13 to 16 to register on social media platforms.
The Senate proposal has been submitted to the National Assembly, which would need to approve the text before it can become law.
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Harmful content
The debate comes amid growing international concern over the impact of social media on young people’s mental health.
In September, a French parliamentary commission investigating the psychological effects of TikTok recommended banning social media for children under 15 and introducing a "digital curfew" for 15- to 18-year-olds.
The commission was launched in March after seven families sued TikTok in late 2024, accusing the platform of exposing their children to content that could encourage suicide.
Last month, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media entirely, saying it was time to “take back control” from powerful technology companies, a move criticised by YouTube, Meta and other industry groups.
(with AFP)
