France Passes National Ban On Social Media Use For Children Under 15

On July 21, 2026, France's Parliament approved a law banning social media use for children under 15 and banning mobile phones in high schools.^[1] President Emmanuel Macron has urged the measure be in force for the September 2026 school term, but a constitutional compatibility review could delay implementation.^[1]

Both the National Assembly and the Senate backed the bill after changes that carve out online encyclopedias and certain educational or scientific directories.^[1] The law will require social platforms to adopt new age-verification systems and to decide how to handle accounts already held by underage users.^[1]

France's health watchdog reports about 90% of 12- to 17-year-olds use smartphones daily, with heavy time on social networks and documented mental health risks.^[1] Lawmakers framed the bill as a response to those usage patterns and to growing concern about online harms to adolescents.

The measure now goes to a constitutional review that could alter timing or parts of the text before it can take effect.^[1] If the review clears the law, authorities and platforms will have weeks to implement age checks and account rules ahead of the school year.

1. PBS