FRANCE JOINS GLOBAL PUSH, BANS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- France has become the latest country to enact legislation banning social media use by children under 15, amid growing concerns over its impacts on children’s mental health and development. 

The bill was passed by the French National Assembly on Monday, and it will be tabled in the Senate for approval.

Calling the legislation a “major step” in protecting children online, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the Senate to fast-track the process so the ban can take effect as early as the next school year, on Sept 1, 2026, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

“Because our children's brains are not for sale. Neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams cannot be dictated by algorithms.”

“Because we do not want an anxious generation but a generation that believes in France, the Republic, and its values,” he wrote in French on the social media platform X.

France’s move followed Australia’s landmark law imposing a nationwide ban on social media use by children under 16, effective Dec 10, 2025, making it the first country in the world to do so.

Malaysia is also taking a similar approach, with a minimum age limit of 16 for social media access expected to be implemented as early as July this year.

The measure, aimed at protecting children and adolescents from exploitation and exposure to inappropriate online content, is being implemented in line with the Online Safety Act (OnSA), which came into force on Jan 1, 2026.

“Under OnSA, we have begun discussions with platform providers. We are now in the regulatory sandbox stage to identify the best, most effective and safest way to conduct age verification. At present, we are still in the discussion and planning phase with the platform providers,” Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said.

Restrictions on children’s access to social media are increasingly being adopted by countries worldwide, while many others are considering similar measures.

According to Anadolu Ajansi, China, which has one of the world’s strictest digital control systems, restricts app use for children under 18, with daily limits of two hours for those aged 16 to 17, one hour for ages 8 to 15, and 40 minutes for children under eight.

All online content must be approved by the Cyberspace Administration of China, while the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, offers a child mode with educational content, and most major United States (US)-based social media platforms remain banned.

Denmark reached an agreement on Nov 7 last year to ban users under 15 from accessing social media platforms.

Spain approved a bill in June 2024 raising the legal age for data protection consent from 14 to 16, and Norway has already imposed limits tied to digital maturity, according to reports.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their countries are considering banning social media use for children under 15 and 16, respectively, citing concerns about declining physical activity, reduced engagement in hobbies among young people, and the risk of “a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison.”

In Turkiye, the Grand National Assembly is discussing a potential ban on social media use for children under 15, while a draft bill covering these regulations is expected to be submitted to the relevant parliamentary committee by the end of January.

In the US, the federal system has created a fragmented regulatory environment for age verification and parental consent, with several states, including Florida, considering platform-specific bans, while legislative efforts continue in others.

In the Netherlands, support for banning social media use among children under 16 is growing, especially among Generation Z.

-- BERNAMA