France draws the line at 15: inside Europe’s first social media ban for children | Explained
France has become the first EU nation to legislate a ban on social media access for children under 15. The law will be implemented in two phases, requiring age verification systems to block new accounts and eventually close existing ones.
Why it matters
This sets a global precedent for how governments may regulate digital platforms to protect minors from addictive or harmful content.
The story so far: Years since whistleblowers first sounded alarm over social media companies pushing harmful and addictive content towards children, France, on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), became the first European Union (EU) nation to legislate a blanket ban on social media access to children under 15 years of age.
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