France plans social media ban for under-15s and no mobile phone use in secondary schools

A ban on mobile phone use in primary schools and intermediates came into force in France in 2018 but is rarely enforced. Photo / 123RF

France will make a fresh attempt to protect children from excessive screen time, proposing a ban on social media access for children aged under-15 by next September, according to a draft law seen by AFP.

The initiative is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said in December that parliament should start debating such a proposal in January.

Australia has imposed a social media ban on under-16s, in a world first.

“Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,” the French draft says.

Chidren with unfettered online access were exposed to “inappropriate content” and could suffer from cyber-harassment or experience changes to their sleep patterns, the Government said.

The draft law has two articles. One would make illegal “the provision by an online platform of an online social media service to a minor under-15”. The second calls for a ban of mobile phone use in secondary schools.

Macron has said that the digital protection of minors is a priority for his government, but enforcement and compliance with international law have been issues.

A ban on mobile phone use in primary schools and intermediates came into force in 2018, but is rarely enforced.

France ran foul of European Union rules with a law calling for a “digital legal age” of 15, passed in 2023, that has since been blocked.

The French upper house, the Senate, in December backed an initiative for the protection of teenagers from excessive screen time and social media access, which includes a requirement for parental authorisation for children between 13 and 16 to register with social media sites.

The Senate’s proposal has been submitted to the National Assembly which would need to approve the text before it can become law.

-Agence France-Presse