France's Parliament has approved landmark legislation banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, making the country the first in the European Union to adopt such sweeping restrictions aimed at protecting minors from the harmful effects of online content.

The legislation, backed by both the National Assembly and the Senate, introduces mandatory age verification for all users and is set to be rolled out in phases beginning later this year.

Under the new law, from September 2026, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating new social media accounts, while platforms will be required to verify the age of all new users using systems approved by France's privacy regulator. By January 2027, the requirement will extend to all existing accounts, meaning every social media user in France will have to verify that they are at least 15 years old to continue accessing covered platforms.

The French government says the measure is designed to reduce children's exposure to cyberbullying, harmful content, addictive algorithms and excessive screen time, concerns that have increasingly shaped digital policy debates across Europe. President Emmanuel Macron, who has made youth online safety a key priority during his second term, welcomed the law as a major step toward protecting children in the digital age.

The legislation places responsibility on social media companies to implement reliable age-verification systems approved by French authorities. Platforms that fail to comply could face regulatory action under France's digital oversight framework. Educational platforms, online encyclopedias and certain scientific resources are exempt from the restrictions.

The move comes as governments around the world tighten regulations on social media. Australia has already enacted a nationwide ban on social media access for children under 16, while several European countries—including Spain, Denmark and Greece—are examining similar measures. The European Commission is also assessing how France's legislation aligns with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and broader child online safety rules.

Despite broad political support, the law has drawn criticism from privacy advocates and some opposition lawmakers, who argue that mandatory age verification could create new privacy risks and prove difficult to enforce. Others have questioned whether determined young users could circumvent the restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs) or other technical means. The government maintains that modern age-verification technologies can protect user privacy while effectively preventing underage access.

If implemented as planned, the legislation will make France the first EU member state to require universal age verification for social media access, potentially setting a precedent for future digital regulation across Europe. (ILKHA)