The new legislation in France also prohibits mobile phone usage in educational institutions.
French officials have enacted a new legislation prohibiting social media access for individuals under the age of 15. If ratified by the Constitutional Council, France could lead the European Union as the first member state to enforce such a ban, following Australia’s similar measure set to take effect in 2024.
The primary goal of this legislation is to address the detrimental health effects associated with children’s social media usage. Additionally, it includes a ban on mobile phone use within schools and introduces stricter regulations regarding social media advertising targeted at young users. Regulatory bodies have proposed the use of age verification methods to determine whether users meet the minimum age requirement for account creation, although the specific implementation details remain unclear. This decision may eventually lie with ARCOM, France’s digital communications authority, which will oversee the ban’s enforcement.
Depending on President Emmanuel Macron’s influence, specific regulations may be established swiftly. In a recent post on X, Macron expressed gratitude to Parliament for the ban’s approval and urged for its implementation by the beginning of the school year in September. Previously, he had requested for a prompt vote on the matter.
While France is on track to be the first European nation to enforce a social media ban, other countries are also contemplating similar actions. The United Kingdom has been examining a ban and has partially implemented one through age verification requirements under the Online Safety Act. Meanwhile, Denmark is nearing its own ban. In Canada, regulators have proposed a law to prohibit social media use for children aged 16 and under, which was introduced in June.
As lawmakers worldwide navigate the complexities of these bans, potential challenges arise. Recent studies conducted in Australia revealed that many children continued using social media despite the imposition of a ban, likely due to the relaxed age verification measures of the platforms. Moreover, issues encountered with Roblox’s age verification system highlight the difficulties of implementing these regulations effectively. Similar challenges may arise as France rolls out its new social media ban.
