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France becomes first European Union country to ban social media for kids under 15
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- France has become the first EU country to ban social media use for children under 15, with new legislation preventing account creation from September and blocking existing accounts from January 2027.
- The law also bans phones in high schools starting next year and mandates age verification on social media platforms, aiming to protect children's mental health following findings of social media's harmful effects.
- Critics question the enforceability of the ban, citing potential workarounds like VPNs and fake information, and warn that stricter age checks could compromise user privacy and push youth to less regulated platforms.
- The ban aligns with France's broader "digital sovereignty" strategy to reduce reliance on US and Chinese tech firms and promote European alternatives, reflecting wider regulatory trends in the EU.
- France follows Australia as the only countries with nationwide social media bans for children, with other nations like the UK planning similar measures, making France a key test case for the effectiveness of such policies.
