France could become the first European country to bar social media access for children and teenagers. following in the wake of Australia’s under-16s ban last year.
The country’s lower house voted in favor of a bill – imposing restrictions on sites such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for under-15s – on Monday evening.
France is among a number of countries exploring similar bans due to growing concern over the negative impact of social networks on youngsters, alongside the UK, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland.
The UK announced a three-month consultation last week to examine proposals to raise the minimum age, amid growing pressure from the both parliament and the House of Lords, while Denmark is also mulling legislation, with its PM saying phones were stealing “children’s childhood”.
The French bill, proposed by Laure Miller, an MP for President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, was approving by 116 votes for to 23 votes against.
It is now expected to be fast-tracked through the French Upper House, with the aim of transposing into law by September 1 in time for the new school year.
The same bill also includes a provision for mobile phones to banned in high schools, bolstering restrictions that already exist for kindergartens and middle schools.
If this timetable is adhered to, France could become the second country in the world, and first European nation to introduce social media restrictions for youngsters.
French President Emmanuel Macron got behind the bill ahead of Monday’s vote with a video address over the weekend.
“The brains of our children and adolescents are not for sale,” he said. “Their emotions are not for sale or to be manipulated, whether by American platforms or Chinese algorithms.”
In a fractious parliament where President Macron and his government, led by Sebastien Lecornu, have struggled and often failed to push through other reforms, the social media bill has won broad cross-party support.
English (US) ·