France intends to follow Australia and ban social media platforms for children from the start of the 2026 academic year.<\/p>\n
A draft bill preventing under-15s from using social media will be submitted for legal checks and is expected to be debated in parliament early in the new year.<\/p>\n
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has made it clear in recent weeks that he wants France to swiftly follow Australia\u2019s world-first ban on social media platforms for under-16s<\/a>, which came into force in December. It includes Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.<\/p>\n Le Monde<\/a> and France Info<\/a> reported on Wednesday that a draft bill was now complete and contained two measures: a ban on social media for under-15s and a ban on mobile phones in high schools, where 15- to 18-year-olds study. Phones have already been banned in primary and middle schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n The bill will be submitted to France\u2019s Conseil d\u2019\u00c9tat for legal review in the coming days. Education unions will also look at the proposed high-school ban on phones.<\/p>\n The government wants the social media ban to come into force from September 2026.<\/p>\n Le Monde reported the text of the draft bill cited \u201cthe risks of excessive screen use by teenagers\u201d, including the dangers of being exposed to inappropriate social media content, online bullying, and altered sleep patterns. The bill states the need to \u201cprotect future generations\u201d from dangers that threaten their ability to thrive and live together in a society with shared values.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Macron confirmed at a public debate in Saint Malo that he wanted a social media ban for young teenagers. He said there was \u201cconsensus being shaped\u201d on the issue after Australia introduced its ban. \u201cThe more screen time there is, the more school achievement drops \u2026 the more screen time there is, the more mental health problems go up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He used the analogy of a teenager getting into a Formula One racing car before they had learned to drive. \u201cIf a child is in a Formula One car and they turn on the engine, I don\u2019t want them to win the race, I just want them to get out of the car. I want them to learn the highway code first, and to ensure the car works, and to teach them to drive in a different car.\u201d<\/p>\n Several other countries are considering social media bans for under-15s after Australia\u2019s ban including Denmark<\/a>, whose government hopes to introduce a ban in 2026<\/a>, and Norway<\/a>. Malaysia is also planning a social media ban for under-16s from 2026. In the UK, the Labour government has not ruled out a ban, saying \u201cnothing is off the table\u201d but any ban must be \u201cbased on robust evidence\u201d.<\/p>\n Anne Le H\u00e9nanff, the French minister in charge of digital development and artificial intelligence, told Le Parisien<\/a> this month that the social media ban for under-15s was a government priority, and that the bill would be \u201cshort and compatible with European law\u201d, namely the EU\u2019s Digital Services Act (DSA) \u2013 regulation intended to combat hateful speech, misinformation and disinformation.<\/p>\n The social media ban is part of Macron\u2019s attempt to shape his legacy as he enters his difficult final year as president with a divided parliament.<\/p>\n On 23 December, last-minute legislation was passed to keep the government in business into January after parliament failed to agree a full budget for 2026. Attempts to agree a budget will resume next month.<\/p>\n