Online Reporter
PARIS. – France’s parliament has approved a bill banning social media access for children under the age of 15, making it the first EU country to bar children from apps such as TikTok.
The president, Emmanuel Macron, has championed the ban as a key reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September.
Five of those countries have restrictions already in force, according to an AFP tally.
Here are facts about the measures in different countries.
Restrictions in place
Social media has been banned for under-16s in Australia since December 2025.
Brazil introduced a law in March requiring platforms to link the accounts of users aged under-16 to those of their parents, while also requiring platforms to verify users’ ages.
In China, minors’ access to social media has been restricted progressively since 2019.
Initial measures imposed time limits and curfews on online gaming, before similar restrictions were extended in 2023 to social media and streaming platforms.
Indonesia has banned social media for under-16s since March.
Malaysia has taken a similar approach, with legislation coming into force in June excluding under-16s from major platforms.
Türkiye is set to join the list after passing legislation to bar under-15s from social media in April.
The law is expected to take effect later this year.
The United Arab Emirates announced a ban on social media for under-15s last month, with implementation set for around a year’s time.
Restrictions announced
Across the 27-nation EU, the European Commission plans to propose measures later this year for a total ban for under-13s and progressive access for those aged 13 to 18.
Within the bloc, the Greek government announced in early April that it intends to ban social media access for under-15s from January 1, 2027.
Austria and Slovenia are also preparing legislation to prohibit access for under-14s and under-15s, respectively.
In Germany, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports restricting or even banning social media for children, an expert commission has proposed two options: a ban graded by age or platform-specific restrictions.
A similar debate is under way in Sweden, where a government commission has proposed banning social media for under-15s by early 2028.
In Denmark, the government announced in October 2025 that it would propose banning “several social media platforms” for under-15s.
The Irish government has warned that it is considering legislating in the absence of an EU decision.
Outside the EU, the Norwegian government will present a bill by the end of the year to ban access for those under 16.
The UK is looking to ban social media for under-16s by early 2027 under a measure planned by its former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Canada also wants to set the minimum age for social media use at 16.
Several states in India are considering restrictions for children, and the government said it is holding discussions with platforms over potential measures.
“France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers,” Macron said in a video posted on social media, hailing “a major step forward”.
He thanked members of parliament for backing the legislation on Tuesday.
“The Constitutional Council must now rule on it, and then it will be time to take action to make this measure a reality and protect our children online,” he added on X.
After approval by the Senate earlier on Tuesday, members of the National Assembly passed the bill by 279 votes to 81.
A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children.
France will be closely watched by other European states – it is one of 20 countries worldwide to have proposed or introduced such measures.
Last December, Australia became the first country in the world to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts held by under-16s or face heavy fines.
The ban was to be introduced in two stages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accounts from 1 September.
The ban would apply to existing accounts from January 2027, according to the legislation.
The digital minister, Anne Le Hénanff, said before the vote that the timeline was realistic, “because age-verification tools already exist” and others are still in the works, and the onus was on the platforms to impose the rule.
“For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age,” she told journalists.
“If someone is under 15, the account will be closed.”
The minister also gave assurances that users’ personal data would be protected.
Enforcing the measure by September would ensure that one provision of the bill – a ban on mobile phones in high schools – takes effect at the beginning of the French school year.
France’s public health watchdog last year said platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were harmful to adolescents, particularly girls, though this was not the sole reason for their declining mental health.
Lawmakers agreed on the need for regulation but the two chambers had disagreed on the approach.
French senators had opted for a two-tier system distinguishing between blacklisted platforms flagged as harmful to a child’s development, and those that could still be accessed with parental consent.
But the lower house’s blanket ban prevailed, despite criticism from some on the left over the age verification process, the speed of its implementation and risks of circumvention as well as privacy concerns.
Exceptions to the ban are provided for sites such as online encyclopedias and educational platforms, and the text does not provide for any penalties for children or parents.
“The major platforms are, in my view, largely ready,” assembly member Laure Miller told AFP.
The blacklisting system would have taken more time, including fresh consultations with the European Commission on the criteria, and carried a “small risk” of non-compliance with European law, said centrist senator Catherine Morin-Desailly.
The European Commission has been considering a social media ban after a push by member states, including France, Greece and Spain, for limiting access.
Last week, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, said children should have “phased and gradual access” to social media. The European Commission has also unveiled an age verification app that EU member states, including France, have begun testing in recent months.
After Macron’s government suspended pensions reforms last year, a social media ban could be his last major domestic change before he steps down next year. – The Guardian/The Star/RTI
