French President Emmanuel Macron has doubled down on his push to shield children from the pull of social media, calling for fast-tracked legislation that would ban under-15s from major platforms as early as this September.
In a video released late on Saturday by French broadcaster BFM-TV, President Macron said he had asked his government to use an accelerated parliamentary procedure so the bill can be passed in time for the start of the next school year.
The legislation is due to be examined in the French National Assembly on Monday afternoon, with the Senate expected to follow soon after.
“The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale,” Macron said in the clip, which was addressed to MP Laure Miller, the bill’s sponsor.
“The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated. Neither by American platforms, nor by Chinese algorithms.”
France pushes new law to ban social media for children under 15
Protecting young minds
It was a characteristically punchy intervention, and one that places Macron firmly at the centre of a growing international debate about children’s mental health, screen time and the power of tech platforms.
His comments came just days after the British government said it was considering stricter limits on social media use by young teenagers, adding momentum to the idea that Europe may be heading towards tougher age rules.
In France, the concern is backed by stark statistics. According to the country’s health watchdog, Anses, around one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone.
Roughly 90 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds use smartphones daily to access the internet, and nearly six in ten use them primarily for social networks.
A report published in December warned of reduced self-esteem, sleep disruption and greater exposure to risky content, including material linked to self-harm, drug use and suicide.
Several families have taken legal action against TikTok, alleging that harmful content contributed to teenage suicides.
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Political backing, legal hurdles
The bill now before parliament would make France one of the toughest European countries on youth access to social media.
It targets platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, which have become deeply embedded in teenage life.
Beyond banning social media for under-15s, the proposal would also extend existing restrictions on mobile phone use in secondary schools and colleges from the 2026 school year.
While the government had initially planned to introduce its own bill, it has thrown its weight behind Laure Miller’s text, following months of parallel work.
Ministers for digital affairs and health have even visited addiction treatment units together with the MP, underlining a rare show of unity.
The debate is not without friction. On the left, MPs from the hard-left France Unbowed have criticised what they call “digital paternalism”, while some Greens have warned against overly simplistic solutions.
Yet the ban enjoys broad cross-party backing, including support from the far-right National Rally and the centre-right Republicans.
A key challenge is legal: ensuring the French law complies with EU rules, notably the Digital Services Act, after a previous attempt to set a “digital majority” at 15 stalled in 2023.
The current draft has been repeatedly rewritten to avoid directly imposing obligations on platforms, instead relying on age verification and clear prohibitions, with exemptions for educational and reference sites.
For Macron, however, the direction of travel is clear. “We are banning social media for under-15s, and we are going to ban mobile phones in our high schools,” he said. “It’s a clear rule – for teenagers, for families and for teachers.”
(With newswires)
