France Set to Ban Social Media for Under-15s
France's parliament is set to give final approval on Tuesday. The law would ban under-15s from social media accounts.
Both houses reached a compromise on Monday. If approved France would be the first European Union country with such a ban.
The law would block access to sites like Facebook Snapchat TikTok and YouTube for minors. Leaders are worried about how social media affects young people's mental health.
Some left-wing parties have criticized the bill. France's Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said France would be first in Europe to set a digital age limit.
President Emmanuel Macron has pushed hard for the law. He calls it a major reform of his final term.
He has promised to enforce it by September. Another part of the law would ban mobile phones in secondary schools.
That ban should also start by the new school year. If passed the social media ban could also start in September. France would follow Australia which banned social media for under-16s in December.
Key Terms 2
- European Union A group of European countries that work together on laws and trade.
- Digital Minister A government leader in charge of technology and internet rules.