France to Ban Social Media for Adolescents Under 15

The French government is taking radical steps to protect the mental health of adolescents. President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the acceleration of legislation that will restrict social media access for children under the age of 15. According to Associated Press, the new regulations are expected to take effect in September 2026, coinciding with the start of the new academic year.

In addition to the social media restrictions, authorities plan to implement a total ban on mobile phone use in senior high schools. President Macron emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating.

 "The brains of our children and teenagers are not for sale. We will not allow foreign platforms and algorithms to manipulate their emotions."

The decision was prompted by an alarming report from the French health regulator. According to the data, every second teenager spends between two to five hours a day on a smartphone. Furthermore, 90% of children aged 12–17 use the internet daily, with the vast majority of that time dedicated exclusively to social media. Experts confirm that such digital addiction leads to lower self-esteem, depression, and various forms of risky behavior among youth.

The issue of adolescent safety has already reached the courts. Seven French families have united under the association Algos Victima to file a lawsuit against TikTok. The parents argue that the platform's algorithms exploited children's interests by continuously recommending depressive content promoting suicide and self-harm. This situation is believed to have contributed to the deaths of several teenagers, including 15-year-olds Marie and Charlize. Five other children in the group suffered severe psychological disorders.

On January 26, Deputy Laura Miller will present the bill at an open session. However, a significant obstacle remains in implementing this initiative. As previously noted during similar discussions in Kazakhstan, the technical process of verifying a user’s actual age (identification) on the internet remains extremely complex. The French government must now explore effective ways to overcome this challenge.