A teacher collects a student's mobile phone, set aside during classes at the Jean Mermoz vocational high school in Montsoult, in the northern suburbs of Paris, on January 14, 2026. BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
French lawmakers on Monday, January 26, took a first step towards banning social media for under-15s, an effort championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time. The Assemblée Nationale backed key elements of the bill in a first vote after a lengthy debate. A second vote on the full text, which was proposed by centrist lawmakers, was to follow later in the session before the bill goes to the Senate. The legislation, which also provides for a ban on mobile phones in high schools, follows Australia's ban on social media for under-16s in December, a world first.
Read more France's proposed social media ban for under-15s to be accelerated
As social media has grown, so has concern that too much screen time is arresting child development and contributing to mental health problems. "The emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms," Macron said in a video broadcast on Saturday. The late Monday vote was 116 for the ban and 23 against it. Authorities want the measures to be enforced from the start of the 2026 school year for new accounts.
