Spanish
Paris. – The French government is pushing for new legislation aimed at protecting children and adolescents from excessive screen exposure, which includes prohibiting access to social media for those under 15 starting in September 2026, according to a bill reviewed by the AFP agency.
The initiative is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who urged Parliament to begin debating the proposal starting in January. In his New Year's message, the president assured that the State will take an active role in protecting minors from the impact of social media and the prolonged use of digital devices, committing to closely monitor the progress of the project.
The legislative text warns about the risks associated with excessive screen use, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and sleep disorders. The first article establishes that it will be illegal for a digital platform to offer social media services to those under 15 years of age, while a second article proposes to ban the use of mobile phones in secondary schools.
France already has experience in this matter, as since 2018 the use of mobile phones has been prohibited in preschools and secondary schools, although the measure has had a limited application. In early December, the French Senate also approved a proposal that requires parental authorization for adolescents between 13 and 16 years old to register on social networks, an initiative that will now have to be evaluated by the National Assembly.
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The French debate is part of a broader international context. In November, the European Parliament urged the European Union to set minimum ages for minors' access to social networks, given the increase in mental health problems linked to the intensive use of these platforms, although final competence rests with the Member States.A key precedent is that of Australia, where on December 9th, a law came into effect that prohibits children under 16 from accessing social media, becoming the first country to apply this type of regulation on a national scale. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, defended the measure as a significant social and cultural change, aimed at strengthening the well-being and mental health of children and adolescents.
Australian regulations directly hold tech companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X, and Reddit accountable, which may face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars if they do not take reasonable measures to prevent access by minors. With this new proposal, France joins the global trend that seeks to regulate the impact of social networks on children and adolescents, amid a growing debate about the limits between protecting mental health and access to technology.
