Macron seeks under-15 social media ban from 2026

France plans to ban under-15s from social media and extend school phone bans from September 2026.

Transcript

00:00In other news, France plans to ban children under the age of 15 from social media

00:05and to prohibit the use of mobile phones in high schools from September 2026.

00:11President Emmanuel Macron's government is expected to submit a draft legislation

00:15for legal review later this month.

00:19The proposals come amid growing public concern about online harms

00:23and the effects of excessive screen use on children and teenagers.

00:26Macron has repeatedly linked social media use to rising youth violence

00:30and wider behavioural problems among minors.

00:34He has suggested that France should follow Australia's lead,

00:37after Canberra introduced a world-first ban on social media access for under-16s in December.

00:43Mobile phones have already been banned in French primary and middle schools since 2018,

00:48and the new measures would extend that restriction to high schools.

00:51In 2023, France also passed a law requiring parental consent

00:56for children under 15 to open social media accounts,

01:00though enforcement has faced technical challenges.