France became the first European Union country to approve a blanket social media ban for children under 15 on Tuesday, as lawmakers moved to curb young users’ exposure to addictive design and harmful content.
Lawmakers Approve Ban Ahead Of September
Both chambers of Parliament backed the measure, which also bars mobile-phone use in high schools. President Emmanuel Macron, who had pressed lawmakers for an Australia-style crackdown, wants it to take effect Sept. 1, although constitutional and EU reviews could delay implementation, according to the Associated Press.
Platforms including TikTok, Meta Platforms Inc.’s (NASDAQ:META) Facebook and Instagram, Reddit Inc. (NYSE:RDDT), Elon Musk’s X and Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) would have four more months to close existing underage accounts and must use age-verification systems approved by France’s privacy regulator.
Parents Describe Harm Linked To Platforms
