France is advancing legislation to prohibit social media access for those under 15, with a vote scheduled in the National Assembly. The measure would require approval in both legislative chambers and, if enacted, would make France the first EU country with such a restriction. Parallel proposals exist in at least 19 other countries worldwide.
“France could become first EU country to ban social media for under-15s”
Read at France 24 →“European countries move to ban social media for children”
Read at The Local (Sweden) →No right-leaning sources covered this
The bill addresses Big Tech practices that contribute to youth mental health issues and prioritizes child welfare over profits, consistent with measures in 20 countries and EU plans.
“Platform accountability and protection of marginalized youth”
The legislation counters platform-driven exposure to explicit content and ideological influences while supporting parental authority amid rising youth anxiety rates.
“Cultural and family factors alongside tech restrictions”
The proposal substitutes state control for parental decision-making and risks privacy erosion through age-verification systems.
“Individual and family responsibility over mandates”
All views accept unproven causal links between social media and mental health outcomes while overlooking enforcement failures and alternative explanatory factors such as pandemic effects.
“Overstated platform effects and unexamined policy trade-offs”
Ratings by MBFC