The French National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15. According to Reuters, this proposal is the consequence of serious concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
The proposal aims to prohibit access for minors under 15 to social media and the “social media functionalities” incorporated into broader platforms. Similar to what happened in Australia, French authorities want to combat the impact of social media on minors.
The bill received 116 votes in favor and 23 against and now goes to the Senate before a final vote in the Chamber of Deputies.
French President Emmanuel Macron considers social media one of the factors responsible for violence among young people and is a leading advocate for the Australian example, whose unprecedented ban for minors under 16 on social media platforms, including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, came into effect in December.
Macron wants the approval to be swift so that the ban has practical effects before the start of the next school year in September.
Centrist MP Laure Miller stated that “with this law, we are establishing a clear limit in society and saying that social media is not harmless,” while presenting the bill to the plenary. “Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves more to each other,” she continued. “This is a battle for freedom of thought,” Miller concluded.
French parliamentarians expressed support for this restriction across the political spectrum. Thierry Perez, a far-right MP, described the bill as a response to a “health emergency.” Perez posed a question: “Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our children?”
France may face some difficulties in enforcing the bans. In Australia, social media has been flooded with testimonials from children claiming to be under 16 boasting about their ability to continue regular use of social networks.
The French already have legislation banning smartphones in primary and secondary schools.
The proposal calls for platforms to block access for teenagers through age verification mechanisms in accordance with European Union legislation.
In turn, the European Parliament has asked the European Union to establish minimum ages for children to access social media, although the imposition of age limits is the responsibility of member states.
