France has become the first European country to follow Australia’s lead. Australia became the first country in the world to enforce a law banning children under 16 from using platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, with the legislation taking effect in December 2025.
France’s Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence, Anne Le Hénanff, told the Senate:
“France is setting an example by becoming the first country in Europe to establish a legal minimum age for access to digital technologies.”
The legislation was approved by both chambers of Parliament—the Senate and the National Assembly—on July 21, 2026.
President Emmanuel Macron, who in April urged young people to reduce their smartphone use and spend more time reading books in order to become better citizens, wants the law to come into force before the new academic year begins.
Under the new law, starting September 1, children under the age of 15 will no longer be allowed to create accounts on social media platforms. Social media companies will then have four months to close existing accounts belonging to users below the minimum age.
The platforms will also be required to implement age verification systems approved by France’s data protection authority to ensure compliance with the law.
In general, social media companies oppose laws that impose blanket age-based bans, arguing that they already have measures in place to protect younger users, including minimum age requirements. However, the companies have said they will comply with the laws of countries where such restrictions are enacted.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is preparing broader guidelines aimed at regulating social media use across the European Union and protecting young people from its harmful effects. It will also assess whether France’s new law is compatible with existing European Union legislation.
