France sets under-15 social media ban from September

France has become the first EU country to approve a nationwide social media ban for children under 15.

The new law requires services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to check users’ ages, with new accounts banned from September 2026 and existing accounts requiring deletion by January 2027. France follows Australia and Indonesia, while more than a dozen other countries are considering similar restrictions.

Supporters say the change gives parents a clearer line to hold when children feel pressured to join platforms because everyone else is using them. It also signals that governments are willing to treat algorithmic feeds and endless scrolling as a public health concern.

Gilbert believes social media has become a deeply disappointing technology—one that has too often hindered, rather than supported, human progress. These platforms need to be fundamentally redesigned, with less reliance on algorithms that manipulate our attention, emotions and behaviour, and more emphasis on genuine connection and human wellbeing.

Ultimately the law matters because it moves child online safety from private negotiation into public policy. We should care because the French experiment will offer practical evidence on what age checks can achieve—and what further safeguards young people still need.

Gilbert