Key Facts

• France is the first country in the European Union to ban social media use for children under 15.
• The law also bans mobile phone use in high schools across France.
• Both chambers of the French Parliament approved the bill, which is a key part of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term.
• The ban is expected to start at the beginning of the school year in September, but a constitutional review may delay it.
• The law excludes educational and scientific websites from the ban.
• Some lawmakers opposed the bill due to concerns about privacy and how the law will be enforced.
• France’s health agency reports many teenagers use smartphones daily, and studies link social media to risks like low self-esteem and exposure to harmful behaviors.
• Similar restrictions on social media use by children have been introduced in other countries, such as Australia.