France passes law banning under-15s from social media

France has passed a law that will ban children under 15 from using social media, according to a BBC Business report based on a monitored public feed.

The legislation will also require social media platforms operating in France to verify the age of all users starting in January, the report said. The move puts France among the most assertive European countries seeking tighter controls on access to social platforms for minors.

The new rule is aimed at restricting access for younger children, though the feed summary does not provide details on how platforms will be expected to carry out age checks or what penalties may apply for non-compliance. It also does not say which specific services will be covered or whether any exceptions will be permitted.

Age verification has become a growing issue for regulators across Europe as governments look for ways to enforce online safety rules and limit children’s exposure to harmful content. France’s measure adds to that broader debate by making age verification a legal requirement for platforms, rather than leaving it as a voluntary policy choice.

The report indicates the law will take effect with age-verification obligations from January, marking a clear timeline for platforms to prepare their systems. With the new measure, companies will likely need to show they have a reliable way to identify whether a user is old enough to access social media services in France.

No further legislative details were included in the feed summary, and the BBC Business report did not appear to set out the full scope of the law in the material available to Novexa News. Still, the passage of the measure signals a firm stance by French lawmakers on the use of social media by children under 15.

This article is based on a monitored public feed and attributed reporting from BBC Business.

Source: BBC Business - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq56l9p4y93o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss