Social, French Senate approves ban on under-15s
If the measure is finally approved, France would pave the way in Europe for a ban on social networking for the under-15s.
Step by step, France is getting closer to a clampdown on the use of social media by minors.
On Tuesday evening, 31 March 2026, the Senate approved a bill introducing restrictions for the under-15s, marking a new advance on the first green light given by the National Assembly at the end of January. The text, however, has been amended and final approval is still a long way off.
The two versions compared
The initial version, supported by President Emmanuel Macron and approved by the lower house, envisaged a blanket ban on access to social networks for children under 15. Instead, the Senate chose a more articulated approach, based on a two-tier system.
On the one hand, platforms deemed harmful to the 'physical, mental or moral development' of minors would be placed on a blacklist defined by ministerial decree. For these, a total ban would be triggered, accompanied by stringent age verification requirements. On the other hand, platforms not included in the list would remain accessible, but only with the consent of at least one parent.
The platforms under indictment
Already last year, the French public health authority had pointed to socials such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram as potentially harmful to adolescents - particularly girls - although it did not consider them the sole cause of mental health deterioration.
Macron has repeatedly stressed the need for action, arguing that the emotions of children and adolescents should not be 'put up for sale or manipulated by American platforms and Chinese algorithms'.
