France's National Assembly has taken a first step towards banning social media access for under-15s, a proposal backed by President Emmanuel Macron.
Lawmakers in the lower house on Monday agreed key elements of the bill and are now expected to vote on the full text. The bill still needs to be approved by the upper house, the Senate.
If the legislation is passed, young teenagers would not be able to use networks such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.
The French move is part of a worldwide trend towards restricting social networks for children, triggered by growing evidence of the damage they can cause to mental health. A similar law was passed in Australia late last year.
With this law, we will set down a clear limit in society, said Laure Miller, a lawmaker behind the bill, as quoted by Le Monde. We are saying something very simple: social networks are not harmless, she added.
Macron has pointed out the urgency, aiming for the ban to take effect by the start of the school year in September. We cannot leave the mental and emotional health of our children in the hands of people whose sole purpose is to make money out of them, he stated.
Under the proposed legislation, France's state media regulator will create a list of networks deemed harmful, barring access for users under 15. A separate list of considered less harmful sites could be accessed only with explicit parental consent.
The bill has strong backing, likely receiving support from pro-Macron parties as well as the center-right Republicans and the populist right-wing National Rally.
Additional provisions include banning mobile phone use in senior schools, following a similar regulation already applied in junior and middle schools.
France's efforts mirror those of other European countries contemplating similar restrictions, influenced by the need to protect youth in the digital landscape.
