French parliament approves law banning under 15s from social networks and limiting smartphones in schools | Ukraine news

Platforms will be required to block or close accounts of under 15s, forcing companies to change verification and reshaping teenagers’ online access and school routines.

The French Parliament has finally approved a law that bans children under 15 from accessing social networks and using mobile phones in the upper grades of secondary school.

After agreement on the compromise text by a joint parliamentary committee, the bill gained support from the Senate and the National Assembly, allowing the provisions to be enshrined in law.

According to the document, from September 1, children under 15 will not be able to create new social media accounts. As for existing accounts, the ban takes effect on January 1, 2027; during this period platforms are required to close accounts of users who have not reached 15.

The law does not provide penalties for children or their parents. The duty to verify users’ ages is placed directly on digital platforms.

The law also provides for exemptions for online encyclopedias, educational and scientific resources, platforms for creating and distributing open-source software, and digital educational projects.

Restrictions on smartphone use in schools

A second block of provisions concerns the use of smartphones in the upper grades. From the start of the school year, high school students will be prohibited from using phones on the premises of lycées; in collèges the ban is already in effect.

School administrations will be empowered to establish individual exemptions in internal rules. Special provisions may also be introduced for students of higher education programs who study at lycées.

In addition, schools are required to conduct information campaigns for students, staff, and parents about the harms of excessive screen time and dependence on social networks.

Context and reaction

The law was initiated by Lor Miller, a deputy from the presidential party Renaissance. It is described as one of the key steps in completing Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term and the first such legislative initiative in Europe.

Macron emphasized that the main provisions of the law should take effect from the start of the school year in September.

In June, similar restrictions were introduced in the United Arab Emirates for children up to 15 years old.

The law also provides for information campaigns in schools for students, staff and parents about the harms of excessive screen use and social networks.

Overall, this law is viewed as one of the key steps in completing Macron’s presidency and as a precedent for further European initiatives on digital services and online safety for youth.