Tech · EU-First ban · ArchiveFrance Passes EU-First Ban on Social Media for Under-15s, September RolloutAired July 21, 2026 at 2:28 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00France has become the first country in0:01the European Union to ban social media0:03for anyone under 15 years old. Lawmakers0:06in Paris gave the bill its final0:08approval on July 21st, and the rollout0:10begins this September. President Emanuel0:13Macron championed the measure as a0:14flagship reform, arguing that children's0:16brains are not for sale. The law0:18requires platforms like Facebook, Tik0:20Tok, Snapchat, and YouTube to install0:22age verification systems approved by0:24France's CNIL privacy regulator. New0:27accounts for under 15s will be blocked0:29starting in September and existing0:30accounts must be removed by January0:322027. A companion phone ban in high0:35schools also takes effect in September.0:37Digital Minister Anne Lehenov confirmed0:39the law will take effect in September,0:42making France a test case for Europe.0:44More than 20 countries have taken0:46similar steps, including Australia,0:48which was the first globally with an0:50under 16 ban in December of 2025. The0:53French president framed the ban as a0:54matter of child protection, arguing0:56social media harms adolescent0:58development and mental health, but the1:00law faces push back. Privacy campaigners1:02warned the age verification systems1:04could be invasive and easily evaded.1:06Left-wing lawmakers have threatened to1:08refer the legislation to France's1:09constitutional council on civil1:11liberties grounds, leaving the ultimate1:13fate of the ban uncertain even as it1:15prepares to take effect. France is now1:17the first EU country to draw this line.1:19The question that remains, and it is a1:21global one, is whether age verification1:23can work at scale without compromising1:25everyone's privacy.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗