France: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the European Union to introduce a bloc-wide ban on social media access for children under 15, calling for tougher action to protect young people from online risks.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dated August 29, Macron said new EU legislation was needed to harmonise restrictions across the 27-member bloc. The letter was seen by Reuters and other media.
“I believe it has now become essential to go further and, through a new European legislative text, harmonise a ban on access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15, in order to protect all children across the Union,” Macron wrote.
Macron’s proposal follows the failure of France’s own legislation. France’s Constitutional Council struck down a national bill this summer, ruling that the proposed restrictions would infringe on freedom of expression. The legislation had been due to take effect in September.
Macron said France would separately revise the legislation rejected by the Constitutional Council. However, political divisions in the French parliament and difficult budget negotiations could make it harder for the government to pass a new national law.
The French president has made tighter controls on children’s access to social media a priority during the final year of the current presidential term. Macron has also been seeking support from other EU governments for stronger restrictions ahead of the next French presidential election in 2027.
The push comes as governments across Europe debate how best to protect children from potential harms linked to social media use. Concerns include the impact of online platforms on children’s mental health, safety and exposure to harmful content.
Several European countries are considering their own restrictions following Australia’s decision last year to introduce a landmark social media ban for children. However, some countries, particularly in Scandinavia, have argued that decisions about children’s social media use should remain primarily with parents.
Von der Leyen said in July that the European Union would move toward limiting young children’s access to social media across the bloc. The European Commission has been considering recommendations from two experts that would introduce a tiered system based on age.
Under the approach outlined by the experts, children under 13 would have only limited and supervised access to social media, with restrictions gradually eased as children become older. Macron is pushing for a stricter policy, calling for a blanket ban on social media access until the age of 15 rather than a system based on different age groups and levels of access.
The French proposal comes ahead of von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech to the European Parliament later this month, where EU digital policy and child protection are expected to remain important issues.
The debate could lead to a wider discussion among EU governments over whether a common age limit is needed for social media platforms or whether individual countries should retain flexibility to set their own rules.
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