PARIS (Realist English). French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an accelerated legislative process to ensure a ban on social media use by children under 15 can come into force by the start of the next school year in September.
In a video broadcast on Saturday by BFM-TV, Macron said he had instructed his government to trigger a fast-track procedure so the bill could move swiftly through parliament and be adopted by the Senate in time. “The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale,” Macron said. “The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated — neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms.”
The announcement comes amid growing concern over the impact of smartphones and social networks on young people. According to ANSES, France’s national health and safety agency, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on their smartphone. In a report published in December, ANSES said nearly 90% of 12- to 17-year-olds use a smartphone daily to access the internet, with 58% primarily using their devices for social networks.
The watchdog warned of multiple harmful effects linked to social media use, including lower self-esteem and greater exposure to content associated with risky behaviour such as self-harm, drug use and suicide. Several French families have filed legal complaints against TikTok, alleging that dangerous content contributed to teenage suicides.
Macron said the government plans not only to ban social networks for under-15s but also to prohibit mobile phones in French high schools. “This is a clear rule — clear for teenagers, clear for families, clear for teachers — and we are moving forward,” he said.
Referring to the bill set to be debated in a public parliamentary session on Monday, Macron said the revised draft was a “much simpler text” that directly delivers on the promise to bar minors under 15 from social media and restrict phone use in schools.
France’s move follows similar debates elsewhere. Earlier this week, the UK government said it was considering banning younger teenagers from social networks as part of stricter child-protection rules. In Australia, where social media use has been banned for under-16s, companies have reportedly removed around 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children — a policy that has sparked intense debate over privacy, technology and mental health and prompted other countries to consider comparable measures.
