France bans children under 15 from TikTok, Instagram & other social media
France has become the first country in the European Union to approve a nationwide social media ban for children under the age of 15.
Both chambers of the French Parliament approved the legislation on Tuesday, July 21, making France the first EU member to pass a blanket age restriction covering social media platforms.
The ban is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026, meaning children under 15 will no longer be permitted to create new social media accounts. Platforms will then have four additional months to close accounts belonging to underage users that were created before the law came into effect.
The legislation broadly covers services classified as online social networks. The French Senate has previously identified platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat among the services affected by the restriction.
French President Emmanuel Macron strongly supported the measure and pushed for lawmakers to approve it before the beginning of the next school year.
“France is leading the way in Europe in protecting our children and our teenagers,” Macron said following the vote.
The bill also expands restrictions on mobile phone use in French schools. Phones were already restricted in elementary and middle schools, but the law will extend the rules to high schools beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year.
How platforms will reliably identify underage users remains unclear. Critics have questioned whether the ban can be enforced without intrusive age checks, while a possible review by France’s Constitutional Council could delay its planned September implementation.
France follows Australia, which became the first country worldwide to introduce a national social media ban for children under 16. Spain, Denmark, Greece, and the United Kingdom have also considered or announced similar age restrictions.
Educational and scientific directories, online encyclopedias, and platforms used to develop or share open-source educational projects are exempt from the restrictions.
