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French lawmakers are scrambling to finalize a law that would bar children under 15 from using many social media services, aiming to have the measure in place for the new school year in September. The push comes as Parliament prepares to break for summer and after European regulators signaled parts of the draft may clash with EU rules.
A joint committee made up of seven deputies and seven senators convened this week to bridge the gap between the two chambers and hammer out a version that could reach final votes before the recess. The European Commission has already flagged incompatibilities between the latest French text and the EU Digital Services Act, forcing negotiators to adjust wording and regulatory powers.
The president of France has publicly supported the ban, which backers frame as a key protection for minors and one of the major domestic initiatives expected this term. Senators and deputies remain divided over the bill’s reach: the lower house proposed a broad ban on many online social platforms, while the upper house preferred a targeted blacklist of specific services.
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What the bill would do — and what it excludes
The draft combines two high-profile measures: restricting access to most social networking sites for users under 15 and reinforcing a nationwide prohibition on mobile phone use in secondary schools. Lawmakers say the aim is to curb online harms to young people; critics warn about legal clashes with EU legislation and the scope of national oversight.
- Age limit: Proposed minimum age set at 15 for most social networking services.
- Platform scope: Disagreement persists between a blanket ban and a curated blacklist approach.
- Exemptions: Online encyclopedias, educational and scientific directories, and platforms for open-source development would not be targeted.
- School rules: Continued ban on mobile phones in high schools remains part of the package.
- EU review: The European Commission asked for amendments where the national draft overlaps with EU obligations or grants excessive powers to the regulator for audiovisual and digital communication.
- Timing: Even if Parliament approves a compromise quickly, the law cannot be enacted before Aug. 10 because of the EU notification period.
Senators framed the debate in health terms, urging colleagues to prioritize the “physical and mental well-being” of children as the core objective. The exact balance between national action and compliance with EU law will determine how much of the proposal survives the final votes.
If negotiators reach agreement in the joint committee, the compromise text could be brought back to both houses for a final vote as early as the following week. The tight calendar — with summer recess imminent — is adding pressure to conclude talks fast.
Public health data underpins much of the political momentum. A report from France’s national health watchdog found that about half of teenagers use smartphones between two and five hours daily, with roughly nine in 10 children aged 12–17 online every day and nearly six in 10 using social networks.
That analysis links heavy social media use to a range of harms for adolescents, from lowered self-esteem to greater exposure to content related to self-harm, substance misuse and suicide. Families have pursued legal action in France citing alleged connections between harmful online content and teen suicides, intensifying political focus on regulation.
Broader trend: raising minimum ages worldwide
Pressure to set minimum ages for social network use is growing across capitals. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged stricter limits for children’s access to online platforms, and a specialist EU panel recommended barring access to those under 13 until companies can demonstrate their services are safe for minors.
Several countries have already moved to restrict young users: Australia, the U.K., Turkey and Indonesia are among those that have set age floors or issued bans on popular apps such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram for under-16s or under-15s in some cases.
Von der Leyen has publicly called out features like infinite scrolling as potentially addictive and argued that very young children should have minimal or no screen exposure. The European Commission is expected to press forward with a formal proposal in the coming months that could push member states to harmonize their rules.
For France, the debate reaches beyond party politics: it touches on schools, parents, tech companies and the country’s regulatory relationship with the EU. How lawmakers resolve the legal tensions in the next few days will determine whether restrictions can take effect at the start of the academic year and set a model other European countries might follow.
