France has become the first European Union (EU) country to pass a blanket ban on social media for under-15s. The French parliament has approved the bill as a major initiative of President Emmanuel Macron.
The same bill also bans the use of mobile phones in schools. The ban on social media in France has been driven by concerns about harmful content, including a series of suicides among teenagers linked to TikTok that have led to legal action being filed by several families.
While it has not received support from teenagers, the bill has received support from parents and activists. President Macron wants the law to come into effect at the start of the school term next September. But a constitutional review could delay its implementation. France's move is in line with the EU's plans to limit social media access to under-13s and ban 3-year-olds from using devices at all.
So far, Australia and Malaysia have banned social media access for users under 16. In Australia, fines of up to AUD$99 million (~RM 278 million) can be imposed if a media site fails to comply with the law. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, fines of up to RM10 million can be imposed under the Child Protection Code (CPC) which is enshrined in the Online Safety Act (ONSA) since June 1, 2026.
