French President Emmanuel Macron has asked his government to speed up plans to ban children under 15 years old from using social media. He wants the law to be in place by September 2026, at the start of the next school year. Macron made this clear in a video message released by French broadcaster BFM-TV.
“I have asked the government to activate the accelerated procedure so it can go as quickly as possible,” Macron said in the video. He said the law should be “applied from the start of the next school year.”
According to reports, Macron said that children and teenagers are exposed to harmful and manipulative content online. He described social media platforms as places where young minds can be shaped or pressured by algorithms and big tech companies. He warned that children’s brains and emotions are not something that should be “for sale” or manipulated.
What does the social media ban bill pushed by Macron say?
This proposed law follows a debate in France’s Parliament about how social media affects young people’s mental health and well-being. Reports say that lawmakers have been looking at evidence that social platforms can lead to lower self-esteem, anxiety, exposure to harmful material, and addictive behaviours.
The bill would make it illegal for social media platforms to provide services to people under 15. It also includes other measures, like strengthening rules on mobile phone use in schools. France already has some limits on phones in lower school levels, but this would extend more protections for teenagers, as per reports.
Macron’s push for faster approval means the government hopes the bill will pass both houses of Parliament quickly, without long delays. The draft legislation will be discussed shortly, with the aim of having it on the books before students return in the fall.
Australia has implemented a similar social media ban
Australia has already implemented a world-first social media ban for minors. From December 10, 2025, children under 16 years old were barred from having their own social media accounts on major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit, YouTube and others.
Under Australia’s law, platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts, or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (about Rs 300 crore) per breach. Platforms must also remove existing underage accounts and verify ages before allowing access, as per reports.
Macron and other world leaders are watching Australia’s experiment closely. Many see it as setting an example, however questions remain about how effective bans will be and how to balance safety with freedom and digital inclusion.
