French lawmakers approve ban on social media for under-15s

KABUL (Pajhwok): France’s National Assembly has approved legislation that would ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, amid mounting concerns over online bullying, mental health risks, and youth violence.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 116 to 23, proposes prohibiting under-15s from using social networks as well as “social networking functionalities” embedded within broader digital platforms, according to a Reuters.

The legislation now moves to the Senate before returning to the lower house for a final vote.

President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly cited social media as a contributing factor to rising violence among young people and is pressing for the ban to take effect by the start of the next academic year in September.

Macron has urged France to follow the example of Australia, where a world-first ban on social media use for children under 16 came into force in December. The Australian law applies to platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

“With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying that social media is not harmless,” centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber while presenting the bill. “Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,” she said. “This is a battle for free minds.”

Australia’s move is being closely examined by several European countries, including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece.

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