France Moves To Ban Children From Social Media

29 January 2026

By Nokusa Masuku

France has taken a major step to restrict children’s access to social media, as governments worldwide tighten rules to protect minors from online harm.

French lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. The legislation was approved in the National Assembly by 130 votes to 21 and now moves to the Senate for further debate.

If passed by the upper house, authorities hope the law will take effect before the next school year begins later this year.

The proposed ban targets major platforms including Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, TikTok from ByteDance, and Snapchat. The companies have not yet commented on the French vote, but have previously said they already have safety measures in place for young users.

President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the decision, calling it a major step toward protecting children online.

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