France's National Assembly has voted to support a bill that would prohibit social media access for individuals under the age of 15. The proposal, which received backing from President Emmanuel Macron, passed with a vote of 116 in favor and 23 against. The legislation will now move to the Senate for further consideration, with hopes for it to be enacted by September 1, coinciding with the start of the next school year.

If enacted, this law would restrict young teenagers from using popular platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. It is part of a broader movement aimed at protecting children's mental health amid growing concerns about the negative impacts of social media. Macron described the bill as a "major step" and emphasized that children's mental well-being should not be compromised for profit-driven motives.

The proposed legislation includes provisions for creating a list of social media networks deemed harmful to minors, which would be completely banned for those under 15 years old. A separate list containing less harmful sites could be accessed only with parental consent. Additionally, mobile phone use would be banned in senior schools (lycées), building on an existing ban in junior and middle schools.

To enforce these restrictions effectively, the government will need to establish an age-verification mechanism similar to those used for adult content websites requiring identity verification through official documents or AI-based age estimation methods. Other European countries such as Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Ireland are also considering similar restrictions on social media access for minors.

This legislative effort follows previous attempts in France to regulate social media usage among young people that faced legal challenges due to conflicts with European Union regulations. Recent changes in EU guidelines have provided member states more flexibility in setting their own age limits for social media use.

Original Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (australia) (denmark) (greece) (spain) (ireland) (bill) (snapchat) (instagram) (tiktok)

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