France becomes first European country to ban social media access for under-15s

France has become the first European country to move to ban social media access for children under 15, after parliament approved legislation aimed at restricting use of platforms such as TikTok.

The measure marks a significant step in France’s approach to online safety for minors and places the country ahead of its European peers on the issue. According to the monitored public feed from The Guardian Business, the bill was backed by parliament and is part of a policy push championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron has described the ban as a key reform in what is expected to be his final term in office. He has also pledged to have the restriction enforced by September, signaling an accelerated rollout if the measure is implemented on schedule.

The decision reflects growing political concern in France over the effects of social media on children and teenagers, particularly around access to highly popular short-form video apps. TikTok was specifically mentioned in the feed summary as one of the platforms covered by the restriction.

With parliament’s approval, France now stands out as the first European nation to formally block under-15s from using social media apps under this policy framework. The move is likely to draw attention across the continent as governments continue to debate how best to regulate children’s access to digital platforms.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and has been prepared from the available summary information. Source attribution is noted below.

Source: The Guardian Business - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/21/france-ban-social-media-access-under-15s