The French Parliament has passed a bill banning children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms. The legislation, approved in the National Assembly in January 2026, aims to protect children’s mental health, well-being, and development by restricting access to platforms widely associated with social media use. The move follows similar initiatives in other countries, including Australia, to regulate children’s access to digital platforms over concerns about mental and physical health impacts.
Under the law passed by French lawmakers:
Children under 15 years old will be prohibited from accessing popular social media services without parental authorisation.
Social media companies operating in France will be expected to implement age verification measures to ensure compliance.
Violations could result in fines or other penalties for platforms that fail to restrict access appropriately.
The legislation was part of a broader parliamentary effort to address concerns raised by parents, educators, researchers, and health professionals about the effects of early and unsupervised social media exposure on children’s development.
Social media use in childhood has been linked in numerous studies to mental health and developmental issues when compared with peers who use digital platforms less frequently.
Research has pointed to associations between high social media use and symptoms of anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and low self-esteem in adolescents.1 Health experts also note that excessive screen time can affect attention, learning, and social interaction skills. While research continues to evolve, these concerns have been cited in public policy discussions internationally. 2
In parliamentary debates, proponents of the French bill referenced such scientific findings as part of the rationale for restricting access at younger ages, arguing that children’s brains and social skills are still developing during early adolescence.
France’s decision follows similar moves by other countries. In Australia, lawmakers passed restrictions prohibiting children under16 from signing up for social media accounts without parental consent. Under that framework, social media platforms must implement age-verification systems to ensure children meet the minimum age or have verified parental approval before creating accounts. The Australian laws were introduced amid concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental health, body image issues, cyberbullying, and screen time habits.
Both French and Australian laws emphasise parental engagement and platform responsibility but differ slightly in age thresholds and enforcement mechanisms.
The French government has indicated that age verification technology and compliance frameworks will be developed in cooperation with social media companies. Platforms will be expected to adapt their systems to verify user age and parental consent reliably. Failure to implement effective safeguards could result in legal and financial consequences.
Social media firms, advocacy groups, and digital rights organisations have raised concerns in some international discussions about the feasibility and privacy implications of age verification technologies. Implementation challenges include balancing effective enforcement with user privacy protections and avoiding forced collection of sensitive personal data.
While casual and moderate use of digital platforms can facilitate learning, socialisation, and creativity, excessive usage without guidance may correlate with negative outcomes such as disrupted sleep patterns, increased exposure to harmful content, and heightened stress responses.2
Policies limiting social media access for younger individuals aim to encourage healthy digital habits, promote balanced screen time, and support parental oversight during formative years. Evaluating the long-term impacts of such legislation will require ongoing research, surveillance, and assessment of children’s mental and physical health outcomes.
References
Montag, Christian, Joël Thrul, and Anne J. van Rooij. “Problematic Social Media Use in Childhood and Adolescence.” Addictive Behaviors 153 (June 2024): 107980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107980.
Meynadier, Jai, J. Malouff, N. Schutte, Natasha M. Loi, and Mark J. D. Griffiths. “Relationships Between Social Media Addiction, Social Media Use Metacognitions, Depression, Anxiety, Fear of Missing Out, Loneliness, and Mindfulness.” International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (January 23, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01440-8.
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