France to propose banning under-15s from social media as of September

The government will present a law for parliament discussion in early 2026

Euractiv

[NurPhoto via Getty Image]

France could ban social media for under-15s as early as next September, according to a draft law which will be discussed by parliament early in 2026.

The law would prohibit social media platforms from providing their services to children under 15 years old as of 1 September 2026, according to the draft seen by Le Monde.

Protection of minors has been one of French President Emmanuel Macron’s priorities. He had already announced early in December that a law would be presented for discussion in parliament early in 2026.

France has been pushing for EU-level rules in this area, alongside other EU countries – proposals that have gained popularity among EU leaders.

Denmark also made this one of the priorities of its EU presidency of the Council, which ends Wednesday, and is planning to enforce similar rules nationally.

Ireland, which is set to hold the rotating Council Presidency in the second half of 2026, is also preparing to advocate for an “Australian-style” social media ban for minors at EU-level, its vice-prime minister Simon Harris said Monday.

Australia has enforced a social media ban for under-16-year-olds since early December. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September that she was inspired by the move, and that the EU executive would work with Australia on this issue.

The Commission has so far left it up to EU countries whether to mandate social media platforms to conduct age checks, although in July it published guidelines on this under its social media rules, the Digital Services Act (DSA).

(ow)

UPDATE: This article has been updated to clarify the last sentence on age checks obligations.

Dec 31, 2025 - 14:17 Last updated: Dec 31, 2025 - 16:07