The French National Assembly approved on January 26, 2026, a government-backed bill banning social media access for minors under 15 and prohibiting mobile phone use in high schools. Introduced by Renaissance deputy Laure Miller and accelerated by President Emmanuel Macron, the streamlined measure—focusing on parental controls for the riskiest platforms—aims to protect youth mental and physical health amid years of debate.
The bill, presented by deputy Laure Miller from Marne, passed 130 votes to 21 after significant revisions. Originally seven articles including bans, curfews, and offenses, it was reduced to two essentials following Conseil d'État consultation on November 24, 2025: prohibiting under-15 access to the most dangerous social media platforms and banning mobiles in high schools, with strengthened parental controls.
A source close to the matter noted it 'arriv[ed] exactly where deputy Miller wished,' balancing child protection with legal feasibility and EU constraints. It competes with other initiatives under Macron's tight timeline.
Miller, rapporteur on TikTok's effects, declared: 'With this law, we will set a clear limit in society. We say one simple thing: social media is anything but harmless. These social networks promised to connect, but they fragmented. They promised to inform, but they saturated. They promised to entertain, but they imprisoned.' Junior Minister for Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff added: 'Before 15, it's the age of carefreeness, creativity, learning, and self-building. Our children's brains are not for sale, nor should they be dominated.'
Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are already bolstering parental controls in anticipation. Public polls, such as one from Le Figaro, highlight controversies over youth digital engagement. This marks a major regulatory step in France on social media's impact on minors.
