PARIS — A joint reconciliation committee of France’s Parliament reached an agreement Monday on legislation that would block anyone under the age of 15 from using social media.
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his desire to have the measure in effect before the school year kicks off in early September. If passed, France would join Australia, which became the first country in the world to enact such a restriction — banning users under 16 from platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube back in December.
Macron has also been working to build support for similar restrictions across the European Union. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has recently voiced her backing for limiting children’s access to social media throughout the 27-nation bloc.
The agreed-upon version of the bill is scheduled to be debated Tuesday in France’s Lower House, followed by a vote in the Senate.
Under the legislation, France’s Information Technology minister would be responsible for compiling an official list of social media platforms that would be off-limits to anyone younger than 15.
Social media companies would also be required to implement age verification systems that have been reviewed and approved by France’s privacy regulatory authority.
In addition to the social media restrictions, the bill includes a provision that would ban the use of smartphones in high schools.
