France becomes the first EU nation to prohibit social media access for children under 15

France's parliament on Tuesday approved a landmark bill banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, making the country the first in Europe to introduce such a restriction on platforms including TikTok.

President Emmanuel Macron, who has made the measure a key priority of his final term, said the ban would be enforced from September.

Calling it "a major step forward," Macron said France was leading Europe in protecting children and teenagers online. He thanked lawmakers for approving the legislation and said it now awaited a ruling from the Constitutional Council before implementation.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly with 279 votes in favour and 81 against after earlier receiving Senate approval.

The rollout will take place in two phases. From September 1, children under 15 will be prevented from creating new social media accounts, while existing accounts belonging to under-15s must be closed by January 2027.

Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said the timeline was achievable because age-verification technology already exists, with further tools under development. She said social media platforms would be responsible for enforcing the rules and stressed that users' personal data would remain protected.

The September rollout will also coincide with the introduction of another provision in the law banning mobile phone use in French high schools at the start of the academic year.

France's public health authority has warned that platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram can negatively affect adolescents' mental health, particularly girls, prompting lawmakers to push for stronger regulation.

Although the Senate had proposed allowing parental consent for access to some platforms, the National Assembly opted for a blanket ban on all social media for under-15s. Critics raised concerns over age verification, privacy and the possibility of users bypassing the restrictions, but supporters argued that major platforms were already capable of implementing the measures.

The law exempts online encyclopaedias and educational platforms and does not impose penalties on children or parents.

France's move comes as the European Union considers wider restrictions on children's social media use. Backed by countries including France, Greece and Spain, the EU has been exploring age-based access limits, while the European Commission has already begun testing a new age-verification app across several member states.

If upheld, the legislation could become one of Macron's final major domestic reforms before he leaves office next year. France is among about 20 countries worldwide that have proposed or adopted similar measures. Australia became the first country to require major social media platforms to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 or face significant financial penalties.