Social Media: Social media will be banned for children under 15 in France, and mobile phones will also be prohibited in schools..

France has taken a major step towards banning social media for children under 15 years old. The country's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, approved the proposal by a large majority. 116 members of parliament voted in favor of the bill, while 23 voted against it.

The bill has the support of President Emmanuel Macron. The proposal will now go to the Senate, the upper house of parliament. If it is also approved there, several social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch will be completely banned for children under 15 years of age.

President Macron's Support
After the bill passed the National Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron called it a "major step." Posting on social media, he urged the government to expedite the process so that the law can be implemented by the next academic year. The new school year in France begins on September 1st.

Macron wrote, "Our children's minds are not for sale." According to him, the mental and emotional health of children cannot be left to companies whose sole purpose is to make a profit.

MP Calls Social Media Divisive
The MP who drafted the bill, Laure Miller, said that this law will establish a clear boundary in society. She believes that social media platforms are not harmless. She said that these platforms promised to connect people, but instead, they have become divisive.

What does the social media ban proposal entail?
Under the proposed law, France's media regulator will compile a list of social media platforms considered harmful to children. Creating accounts on these platforms will be completely prohibited for children under 15 years of age.
Some platforms considered less harmful may be accessible to children only with the explicit consent of their parents. The proposal also includes a ban on the use of mobile phones in senior schools. This rule is already in effect in junior and middle schools.

If the law is implemented, a system for age verification will also need to be established. France already has an age verification system in place for adults accessing adult websites.

Australia has already imposed a ban.
This move by France follows in the footsteps of countries like Australia, where similar legislation has been in effect since December of last year. Other European countries, such as Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Ireland, are also considering similar measures. Recently, the UK also began consultations on banning social media for children under 16.

However, a previous attempt to introduce similar legislation in France in 2023 failed because the courts deemed it contrary to European law. This time, the bill has been redrafted to avoid legal challenges. The government hopes that it will soon receive approval from the Senate and that the law will be implemented by September.

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