France approves social media ban for children under 15

The legislation, described by the government as establishing a "digital majority," was definitively adopted by Parliament on Tuesday. The ban will begin taking effect on Sept. 1, with a gradual rollout continuing until Jan. 1, 2027.

In a statement following the vote, French Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Hénanff said the reform was the result of months of work by lawmakers and reflected the government's commitment to protecting minors online.

She said safeguarding children in the digital environment had been one of her priorities since joining the government and credited Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron for supporting the initiative.

Le Hénanff said France hopes the legislation will serve as a model for other countries, noting that protecting minors online has become one of the priorities of the G7 Digital agenda.

France is the first European country to adopt such a nationwide restriction, following Australia, where a ban on social media access for children under 16, covering platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, came into force in December.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the UAE set minimum social media age at 15 under new child protection rules.