MACRON MOVES TO FAST-TRACK BILL BANNING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UNDER-15S IN FRANCE

ISTANBUL, Jan 25 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has asked the government to trigger an accelerated legislative procedure for a bill that would ban access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15, aiming for the law to take effect “as early as next fall", Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing local media.

According to a video document obtained by broadcaster BFMTV on Saturday, Macron thanked ruling party lawmaker Laure Miller, the rapporteur of a parliamentary inquiry into the effects of TikTok, for her work on the draft legislation, which the government has now endorsed.

“This text will allow us to realise an ambition that we have held for several years, which is very important to me and which is the subject of a strong commitment that I have made to the French people,” Macron said in the video.

He recalled that he had been pushing for tighter regulation of digital platforms since 2018, citing initiatives launched at UNESCO and the Paris Peace Forum, as well as previous French laws aimed at protecting children and teenagers from excessive screen time and online abuse.

He described the current proposal as a “much simpler text” that fulfils his pledge to prohibit social networks for minors under 15, and also referred to restrictions on mobile phone use in schools.

“This is a very clear message: the brains of our children and teenagers are not for sale. Their emotions are not for sale, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms,” he said.

The bill is scheduled to be examined in the first reading at the National Assembly on Monday, during the parliamentary session reserved for Macron’s Renaissance party. By invoking the accelerated procedure, the government intends to shorten the legislative process to allow rapid implementation.

The proposal follows similar measures adopted abroad.

Australia last month became the first country to formally ban social media for teenagers under 16, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later announcing the deletion of 4.7 million accounts during the first month of enforcement.

The French government says the planned law is part of broader efforts to combat online harassment, harmful content, and risks to minors’ mental health linked to social media use.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU