279 votes in favor and 81 against. That was the decisive vote in the National Assembly in Paris on July 21, 2026, the day France became the first European Union country to legally ban access to social media for children under 15.
The measure, promoted by President Emmanuel Macron, is not just an idea: it has a date. Starting September 1, 2026, no one under 15 will be able to create a new account, and starting January 1, 2027, the ban will also apply to accounts that already exist. The regulator Arcom will be responsible for ensuring compliance.
Behind the law are troubling figures: French teenagers aged 12 to 17 spend an average of 1 hour and 21 minutes a day on TikTok alone, and several families have already sued the platform over teenage suicides linked to that content. Now, even advertising aimed at children will be marked with a warning: ‘Dangerous product for children under 15’.
