French parliament agrees to ban social media for under-15s, final vote set for Tuesday
A cross-party committee of French deputies and senators reached a compromise on Monday, setting the stage for a definitive parliamentary vote on banning social network access to children under 15.
The compromise deal
A joint committee of French deputies and senators, meeting behind closed doors as a commission mixte paritaire (CMP), validated a compromise text on Monday 20 July that would ban social media access for children under 15. The agreement clears the way for a final vote by both chambers of the Parliament on Tuesday. The reform is one of the flagship measures of the closing phase of Emmanuel Macron's second term. The president had originally committed in April during a trip to Cyprus, telling a young student the ban would be in place "from 1 September."
Two-step rollout from September
The text envisages a phased introduction. From 1 September, no new accounts could be created by anyone under 15 years of age. Existing accounts belonging to under-15s would be closed after a transition period of four months, meaning they would become inoperative by 1 January 2027. During that interval, Macron explained last month, "we will go and close the accounts of under-15s that already existed." The government also wants the measure to come into force alongside a separate ban on mobile phones in lycées, which is contained in the same legislative package. A fast-track calendar would make France one of the first European Union countries to impose such blanket restrictions on platforms.
- Macron announces 1 September deadline during a school visit in Cyprus.
- CMP validates compromise text ahead of a parliamentary vote.
- Definitive vote scheduled in both chambers of Parliament.
- New account creation blocked for under-15s; mobile phones banned in lycées.
- Existing under-15 accounts must be closed after a four-month transition.
Assembly version prevails over Senate
During earlier readings the two chambers had adopted markedly different approaches. The Senate, concerned that an overly broad ban would be struck down by the Constitutional Council, had proposed a two-tier system with a "black list" of platforms subject to a total ban and others accessible only with parental consent. The version that survived the CMP negotiations is the broader text from the National Assembly. It states simply that "access to an online social network service" is "prohibited to minors" under fifteen. Carve-outs exist for "online encyclopaedias" and, after a last-minute addition, for "digital projects with an educational purpose." The text must remain compatible with EU law, otherwise enforcement could be blocked by Brussels.
We will go and close the accounts of under-15s that already existed.
Age verification is the hard part
The most persistent obstacle flagged during the legislative process has been the technical challenge of verifying users' ages reliably. The articles describe this as the difficulty that could yet delay the launch, with one deputy quoted as saying: "Frankly, it's not a done deal yet." No enforcement mechanism has been agreed that can satisfy both the privacy requirements of European regulation and the government's ambition for a watertight wall. Discussions are reportedly continuing with the European Commission, which examined an earlier Senate draft and raised reservations about its compatibility with the bloc's digital rulebook.
Frankly, it's not a done deal yet.
What Tuesday's vote means
If both chambers adopt the text on Tuesday, the government will have just over five weeks to finalise the implementing decrees before the 1 September deadline for blocking new registrations. Even supporters acknowledge that the timeline is tight, and Le Parisien notes that some parliamentarians remain cautious about whether the September start date can realistically be met.
