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Wed, 22 Jul 2026

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 France passes law banning under-15s from social media

The law will require social media platforms in France to verify all users age from January.

* France's parliament has approved a law banning social media for under-15s from January 2027.
* The law requires everyone in France to verify their age to access social media and will be implemented in two stages: + From September, people under 15 won't be able to open new accounts and age verification will be required on all new accounts. + In January 2027, the rule will apply to all existing accounts, meaning everyone in France must prove they are over 15 to use social media.
* French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the move, which he had pledged to introduce to mark the end of his decade in office.
* Critics have raised concerns over privacy and the effectiveness of age-verification tools, as well as the risks of young people bypassing them.
* France is the first European country to block young people from social media platforms.