France and Spain towards a social media ban on teenagers

In the early hours of today, the lower house of the French parliament approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15 to protect their health. Supported by the government and approved by the National Assembly with 130 votes in favour and 21 against, the bill will now go to the Senate. If definitively adopted, France would be the first European country to impose such an age limit for social access. This measure is a priority for President Emmanuel Macron, who described tonight's vote as an 'important step'.

"Banning social networks for the under-15s is what scholars advise and what the French are massively demanding. After fruitful work with the government, the National Assembly said yes. This is an important milestone,' Macron wrote in a message posted on X after yesterday's vote at the Palais Bourbon. ''It is now up to the Senate to continue this constructive work,'' Macron continued, adding: ''In order for this ban to be effective as early as next September, I have asked the government to activate the accelerated procedure. Because the brains of our children are not for sale. Neither to American platforms, nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams cannot be dictated by algorithms. Because we do not want an anxious generation but a generation that believes in France, the Republic and its values. France, a pioneer since 2018 in the regulation of platforms, continues to be so today by becoming the first country in Europe to commit to this path. From 1 September, our children and teenagers will finally be protected. I will see to it that this is the case,' assures the president.

In the past, the French government had passed a law banning the use of the telephone in all primary and secondary schools. The Assembly's vote came just days after the British government said it would consider banning the use of social media by young teenagers, as part of tightening laws aimed at protecting children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

The French bill was formulated to comply with the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes a number of strict requirements to ensure the safety of Internet users. In November, EU lawmakers called for EU-wide action to protect minors online, including a minimum age of 16 at the blocking level and a ban on the most harmful practices.

The protection of minors online "is a priority for the European Commission. And the French authorities have the right to set up a digital age verification system for its citizens," confirmed European Commission spokesperson for digital services Thomas Regnier at a press briefing in Brussels. However, he added, the Dsa and the European Commission 'are the only bodies authorised to impose additional obligations on large platforms, as defined by the Dsa. Therefore, there is a need for a law and a digital majority in France, aimed at citizens, to impose additional obligations on large online platforms'.