On January 26, the French Parliament debated a bill aimed at banning children under 15 years old from using social media, amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
The bill proposes to ban people under 15 years old from accessing social networks as well as "social network features" integrated into broader platforms.
This document reflects the increasing public concern about the negative impact of the online environment on adolescents.
After being discussed by Congress, the bill will be transferred to the Senate before returning to the House of Representatives for the final vote.
President Emmanuel Macron once said that social networks are one of the factors contributing to violence among young people. He called on France to follow in Australia's footsteps, where the ban on children under 16 years old using platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube has taken effect.
President Macron wants the new regulation to be applied in time before the new school year begins in September.
Presenting the bill in the parliament, moderate female MP Laure Miller emphasized that this law aims to establish a clear boundary in society and affirmed that social networks are not harmless environments.
She argues that children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to others more, considering this a battle for freedom of thought.
France's initiative takes place in the context of Australia becoming a model studied by many countries such as the UK, Denmark, Spain and Greece. The European Parliament has also called on the European Union to establish a minimum age for children to access social networks, although the right to impose limits still belongs to each member state.
In France, the bill received widespread political and social support, with a Harris Interactive survey showing that 73% of the public agreed with banning children under 15 years old from using social networks.
Far-right MP Thierry Perez considers this a response to a "health emergency".
The bill also requires platforms to apply an age verification mechanism in accordance with EU law and extend the ban on using smartphones from junior high school to high school.
The opinions of teenagers in Paris are still divided. Some acknowledge the risks from social networks, while others believe the ban is excessive.
