00:00France's parliament has approved a law banning social media for children under the age of 15,
00:06with the restriction fully taking effect from January 2027.
00:10The move makes France the first country in the European Union to adopt a blanket social media ban for children
00:17as concerns grow over the impact of harmful online content and excessive social media use.
00:25The ban will be rolled out in two stages, with children under the age of 15 blocked from creating new
00:31accounts from September 1st
00:33before applying to existing accounts from January 2027.
00:37Once the ban is in place, social media platforms will be required to use age verification tools approved by France's
00:44privacy regulator.
00:46Both the French Senate and National Assembly adopted the measure on Tuesday, despite criticism over its practicality.
00:52The government, however, stands by the move, saying the age verification technology is both effective and safe.
00:59France is the second country to introduce such a ban, following Australia.
01:04Similar restrictions are also gaining momentum across Europe,
01:07with the UK and the European Union advancing measures to limit children's and teenagers' access to social media.
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