On July 21, 2026, France made history by becoming the first country in the European Union to approve a nationwide ban on social media access for children under 15 years old. Championed by President Emmanuel Macron, the landmark legislation is intended to reduce young people’s exposure to harmful online content, cyberbullying, and the addictive design of social media platforms. The law is expected to take effect for the new school year, subject to the remaining legal review process.

The legislation requires social media companies to prevent under-15s from creating or maintaining accounts through age-verification systems. Rather than listing specific platforms, the law broadly applies to services that meet the European definition of a social network, meaning major platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and X are expected to be covered. Lawmakers also approved a ban on mobile phone use in French high schools, extending restrictions that already existed in primary and middle schools.

The move follows growing concern among French health authorities and regulators about the impact of social media on children’s mental health. Government-backed studies found that the overwhelming majority of French teenagers use smartphones daily, with many spending significant amounts of time on social platforms and being exposed to harmful or highly personalized content. Macron has described the law as a major step toward protecting children online and has expressed support for introducing similar measures across the European Union.