France's parliament has approved legislation banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, becoming the first European country to adopt such a measure.
The bill, passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate on Tuesday, is aimed at addressing growing concerns over the impact of social media on the health, safety and wellbeing of minors.
"France opens the way by being the first country in Europe to adopt a digital majority," junior minister for artificial intelligence Anne Le Hénanff said after the vote.
Under the new law, children under 15 will be prohibited from opening social media accounts from September 1. Social media companies will have an additional four months to remove existing accounts belonging to underage users.
The legislation also requires platforms to implement age verification systems approved by France's privacy regulator.
President Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly called for tighter restrictions on children's screen time, wants the law implemented before the start of the next academic year.
Speaking at an event in April, Macron urged young people to spend less time on smartphones and social media.
"We left you in this jungle and it robbed you of your attention," Macron said. "We need to slow down and help you become adults, and above all citizens."
Social media companies have generally opposed blanket age-based bans, arguing they already enforce minimum age requirements and offer tools to protect younger users. However, several platforms have said they will comply where governments enact such laws.
The European Commission is also working on broader regulations aimed at strengthening online protections for children and will review whether France's legislation aligns with existing European Union rules.
Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide social media ban for minors under 16 in December 2025.
