OREANDA-NEWS French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he plans to ban access to social media for children and teenagers under the age of 15-16 until the end of his term in 2027.

In early June, Macron announced that he would ban the use of social networks by teenagers under the age of 15 if the EU did not introduce such a ban.

"We will introduce age verification in all social networks, and we will set this age at 15-16 years. And we will say that people under this age will not be allowed to access social networks.… I can easily commit myself that it (the relevant bill) will be voted on before the end of this mandate," the Figaro newspaper quoted the president as saying.

Macron added that the government intends to submit the bill in early 2026 and plans to achieve its early adoption.
In April, MP and former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal proposed banning access to social media for children under 15 and restricting it at night for older teenagers as part of "radical measures" to combat Internet addiction. Internet platforms should be made "less attractive", for example, by switching the interface to black and white mode after 30 minutes of use, the deputy believes.

Instagram Facebook*, Instagram*, Threads*, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Kick and Twitch have been banned by the Australian government since Wednesday for people under the age of 16. Owners of social networks from which profiles of children and teenagers are not deleted face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (about 33 million US dollars).