France’s National Assembly passed groundbreaking legislation on January 26, banning social media access for anyone under 15 while extending smartphone prohibitions to high schools. The 130-21 vote makes France the first major EU nation to implement such comprehensive digital age restrictions, targeting everything from Instagram and TikTok to the social features in Roblox and Fortnite.
MP Laure Miller, who authored the bill, framed this as a “battle for free minds” against algorithm-driven manipulation by U.S. and Chinese tech giants. President Macron fast-tracked the legislation, positioning it as a “major step” toward protecting French youth from digital exploitation.
Breaking New Ground in Digital Child Protection
The legislation requires platforms to implement robust age verification by September 2026 for new accounts, with full compliance by January 2027. Schools get flexibility on phone bans, building on France’s existing 2018 middle school restrictions.
The law targets recommendation algorithms and bans excessive commercial pressure on minors—hitting where platforms make their money. Beyond traditional social media, the restrictions affect messaging features like WhatsApp and social elements in popular games.
Following Australia’s Playbook With European Ambitions
France isn’t flying blind here. Australia’s December 2025 law requiring 16+ minimum ages resulted in 4.7 million minor accounts disappearing from social platforms—proof that age restrictions actually work when enforced. The French approach sets the bar at 15, potentially creating a domino effect across Europe where Germany, Denmark, and Italy are already considering similar measures.
This isn’t regulatory theater either. France’s health watchdog links heavy social media use to self-esteem loss and self-harm risks among teens, with 90% of 12-17 year-olds using platforms daily and half spending 2-5 hours on their phones.
Critics Question Legal Framework and Enforcement
Critics aren’t sold, though. Legal experts worry about EU compliance issues, with Professor Brunessen Bertrand calling the bill “legally fragile.” The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation argues France is missing more effective safety measures in favor of blanket bans.
Your parental controls just got reinforced by French law. Platforms face massive compliance costs and potential EU fines, which could accelerate development of better age verification technology—think biometric checks or AI-powered identity confirmation. The ripple effects extend beyond France’s borders, as companies rarely build country-specific versions of their core features.
Whether this becomes the new global standard depends on Senate approval and successful implementation. But one thing’s certain: the era of “figure it out later” tech regulation for minors is officially over.
