A French parliamentary reconciliation committee approved a bill to ban social media access for users under the age of 15, moving the country closer to enforcing the restriction before the new school year in early September. The legislation requires platforms to implement age verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator, making France one of the first European countries to adopt such a measure, according to medianama.com.
The committee's approval precedes final parliamentary votes, with the reconciled text scheduled for debate in the National Assembly on Tuesday before moving to the Senate. President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his intent for the law to take effect promptly. The bill also includes a proposal to prohibit smartphone use in high schools and mandates the Information Technology Minister to compile a list of platforms subject to the ban, medianama.com reported.
This move aligns with a broader European Union initiative to protect children online. Earlier in July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to introduce legislation across all 27 member states to restrict children's access to social media. The shift reflects growing consensus on the risks social media poses to minors and the need for safer online environments, as detailed by medianama.com.
The National Assembly debate is set for Tuesday, marking a critical step toward the law's enactment ahead of the school year. The legislation's implementation will require social media platforms to comply with age verification mandates overseen by France's privacy regulator, as outlined by medianama.com.