EU Commission rules French under-15 social media ban bill incompatible with Digital Services Act
The European Commission has ruled that France's proposed law to ban social media for under-15s is not fully compatible with the EU's Digital Services Act, forcing French lawmakers to rework the bill.
Commission opinion
The European Commission ruled on Monday that France's proposed law to ban social media for under-15s is not fully compatible with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The opinion, issued after a review of the bill as heavily amended by the Senate, supports the goal of protecting minors but warns that the current text would encroach on the DSA and grant excessive powers to the French media regulator Arcom.
We fully share the objective of the French authorities: minors must be better protected online.
The Commission's opinion helps ensure that any national measure is effective and compliant with EU law. We must minimize the fragmentation of national systems, which could create legal uncertainty or weaken law enforcement.
The Commission had signalled in late January that France had the right to impose such a ban, but stressed it would need to verify that the rules were workable and compliant with EU law. According to sources close to the dossier, the Commission fears the bill would hand too much power to Arcom, encroaching on its own prerogatives.
Legislative journey
The bill was first passed by the National Assembly in January, imposing a broad ban on any "online social network service provided by a platform". The Senate later overhauled the text, introducing a two-tier system that the government warned could conflict with the DSA. Following the Commission's opinion, a joint parliamentary committee will be convened to rework the bill.
An objective within our reach.
Anne Le Hénanff, France's Digital Minister, said the committee would meet in the coming days and that the government stands ready to assist lawmakers in finding a compromise.
- French National Assembly passes initial bill banning social media for under-15s.
- Senate heavily amends the bill, creating a two-tier system despite government warnings of EU law conflicts.
- European Commission issues opinion that the bill in its current form is not fully compatible with the Digital Services Act.
- EU expert committee to deliver recommendations on harmonising underage social media bans across member states.
- Earliest date the law can be definitively adopted, making the September school start deadline unlikely.
Deadline pressure
President Emmanuel Macron and the government had hoped to have the ban in place by the start of the school year in September. However, the EU procedure means the law cannot be definitively adopted before 10 August, making that timeline difficult. The bill was partly inspired by Australia's under-16 social media ban.
EU harmonisation
The European Commission is also exploring the possibility of harmonising such measures across member states. An expert committee is due to deliver recommendations on 13 July, which could shape a future EU-wide framework on underage access to social platforms.
