Macron asks European Commission to ban social media for children under 15

A call for European legislation

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to draft European Union legislation banning social media access for children under the age of 15. The request was detailed in a letter dated 29 August 2026 obtained by AFP on 7 September 2026. Macron argued that a collective European measure is necessary to protect all children across the member states from online risks. He urged the European Commission to prepare binding European rules in the short term, positioning the ban as a central policy objective for the remainder of his second presidential term.

It is now essential to go further and harmonize, through a new European text, a ban on access to social media platforms for minors under 15.

Domestic setbacks in France

The diplomatic initiative follows significant legal obstacles for equivalent legislation in France. In August 2026, the French Constitutional Council invalidated a national statute approved by the French Parliament that sought to ban social media access for minors under 15. The constitutional judges ruled that the measure constituted a disproportionate violation of adolescents' freedom of expression and communication. Furthermore, the council determined that the legislation failed to specify how users of social networks would practically prove their age. In his letter, Macron acknowledged that future restrictions must be better defined and regulated to withstand constitutional review. He reaffirmed his intention to find a path forward in autumn 2026 through a revised legislative text that complies with both the French constitution and European Union legal frameworks, aiming to have the system operational before he leaves the Elysee Palace in spring 2027 following the April presidential election.

Competing proposals in Brussels

The French initiative directly challenges the European Commission to adopt a stricter approach as it prepares its own digital regulations. In July 2026, Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Commission would present proposals after the summer, indicating that she would consider a progressive and gradual access system tailored to different age groups. That planned approach mirrored guidance from a committee of European experts, which recommended an outright ban only for children under the age of 13, accompanied by less restrictive controls for adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18. Macron is actively lobbying against a lower threshold, arguing that only a harmonized ban for all minors under 15 can establish an effective standard across the single market.

Verification and platform features

In his correspondence, Macron detailed the technical and structural requirements necessary to make an EU-wide ban workable. He stated that age verification must rely on a coordinated set of robust national and European solutions that fully respect privacy standards. The French head of state also called on Brussels to clearly identify and regulate addictive platform features, demanding default safety standards such as statutory limits on usage time. Over recent months, Macron has built a coalition of European Union member states supporting the establishment of a digital age of majority, although member governments continue to disagree on the precise age limit to enforce. In the letter, Macron specifically requested the mobilization and expertise of European Commission departments on short notice once France officially transmits its revised national bill this autumn.