France has submitted a revised draft law to the European Commission that would ban children under 15 from using social media, according to a report from IThome. The move follows the rejection of an earlier version by France's Constitutional Council in mid-August, which said some provisions unnecessarily restricted freedom of expression for the affected group.
Feature-based restrictions
The new proposal no longer lists specific platforms to be banned. Instead, it targets about ten features deemed harmful or addictive, including autoplay videos, nighttime push notifications, and communication with unknown accounts. The draft also allows an exemption for teenagers aged 13 to 15 if they have consent from a legal guardian.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the submission on X, saying that after rigorous technical work, the government had notified the European Commission of the new draft. The notification is a key step to ensure the legislation complies with EU law, according to Agence France-Presse.
Macron has made the ban a core policy priority and hopes it will take effect before his term ends next year. He has also called on other EU countries to introduce similar regulations.
Growing global trend
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to deliver a speech in Brussels this week on the possibility of a EU-wide ban on social media for minors. The move comes as more countries take steps to limit children's access to social media amid growing warnings about its harmful effects on young people.
In related developments, Google and Meta have urged the Australian government not to rush to judgment on the effectiveness of its ban on social media for under-16s. Meanwhile, UK teenagers have criticized a proposed "nighttime social media curfew" for 16-17 year olds, saying that if they can simply turn it off, it would be meaningless. The UK is also considering a curfew that would block social media access from midnight to 6 a.m. for that age group.
