France bans social media for under-15s: When it starts, who it affects, how it will work

Je m’y étais engagé, c’est désormais voté : les réseaux sociaux seront interdits aux moins de 15 ans à la rentrée. Merci aux parlementaires. Au Conseil constitutionnel de statuer puis place à l’action pour rendre cette mesure concrète et protéger nos enfants en ligne. pic.twitter.com/jC79unxX67

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 21, 2026

The proposal received final approval after the Senate cleared it earlier in the day, followed by a vote in the National Assembly, where it passed by 279 votes to 81, reported The Guardian.

Is the ban immediate?

While the law has been cleared by the French Parliament, the legislation will be implemented in phases. Children under 15 will not be allowed to create new social media accounts from September 1. Existing accounts belonging to users aged 15 and below will be blocked from January 2027.

Before the vote, Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said on X: “After several months of demanding work with deputies and senators, we are bringing to fruition a long-awaited reform, driven by a simple conviction: better protect our children online.”

She further said the timeline was achievable because age verification technology is already available and more tools are being developed, The Guardian reported. She said the responsibility for enforcing the rules would rest with social media platforms.

Le Parlement a définitivement adopté la loi sur la majorité numérique.

À compter du 1er septembre prochain, avec une mise en œuvre progressive jusqu’au 1er janvier 2027, les réseaux sociaux seront interdits aux moins de 15 ans.

Après plusieurs mois de travail exigeant avec les…

— Anne Le Hénanff (@ALehenanff) July 21, 2026

She also said that everyone in France would be required to verify their age during the first four months of implementation. According to the proposed system, accounts belonging to users under 15 would be closed. The minister also assured that personal data collected during age verification would remain protected.

Social media done, mobile phones in line too

While the new law is primarily to ban social media for children, it also has a clause to ban mobile phones in high schools. The French government wants to implement the social media ban by September so that the use of mobile phones in high schools can be curbed by the start of the new academic year, reported Reuters.

France’s public health authority said last year that platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram could negatively affect teens, especially girls. It, however, noted at the same time that social media alone could not be blamed for worsening mental health of youngsters.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said children should be introduced to social media through a gradual and phased approach. The Commission has also developed an age verification application that several EU countries, including France, have been testing in recent months.