San Francisco Frontiers - French senators back social media ban for under-15s

President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September.

The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Tuesday, with 243 votes in favour and two against.

The draft law was expected to be adopted by the National Assembly on Tuesday evening, barring surprises.

A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children.

"France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age limit to better protect our children online," French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said on X.

The ban would be rolled out in two stages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accounts from September 1. The ban would apply to existing accounts from January 2027, according to the text.

Le Henanff said ahead of the vote that the timeline was realistic, "because age-verification tools already exist" with others still in the works, and the onus was on the platforms to impose the rule.

"For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age," she told journalists.

"If someone is under fifteen, the account will be closed."

The minister also gave assurances that users' personal data would be protected.

Enforcing the measure by September would also ensure that one provision of the bill -- a ban on mobile phones in high schools -- takes effect at the beginning of the French school year.

- 'Largely ready' -

France's public health watchdog last year said platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were harmful to adolescents, particularly girls, though it was not the sole reason for their declining mental health.

Lawmakers agreed on the need for regulation but the two chambers had disagreed on the approach.

French senators had opted for a two-tier system distinguishing between blacklisted platforms flagged as harmful to a child's development, and those that could still be accessed with parental consent.

But the lower house's blanket ban prevailed and was expected to pass, despite criticism from some on the left over the age verification process, the speed of its implementation and risks of circumvention as well as privacy concerns.

Exceptions to the ban are provided for sites such as online encyclopaedias and educational platforms and the text does not provide for any penalties for children or parents.

"The major platforms are, in my view, largely ready," lawmaker Laure Miller told AFP.

- Watched in Europe -

The blacklisting system would have taken more time, including fresh consultations with the European Commission on the criteria, and carried a "small risk" of non-compliance with European law, said centrist senator Catherine Morin-Desailly.

The EU has been mulling a social media ban after a push by member states, including France, Greece and Spain, for limiting access.

Last week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said children should have "phased and gradual access" to social media.

The European Commission has also unveiled an age verification app that EU member states, including France, have begun testing in recent months.

After Macron's government suspended a flagship pensions reform last year, a social media ban could be his last major domestic change before he steps down next year.

France will be closely watched by other European states -- it is one of 20 countries worldwide to have proposed or introduced such measures.

In December last year, Australia became the first country in the world to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, or to face heavy fines.

burs-sw-as/rlp

D.Robinson--SFF