France Enacts EU-First Ban on Social Media for Kids Under 15
France has passed a bill to ban social media access for anyone under 15, making it the first EU member to set a 15-year-old age limit; the law targets major platforms, prohibits advertising to minors, and imposes age-verification controls to be enforced by Arcom. Macron framed the move as protecting children's brains and emotions from manipulation by platforms. The law is slated to take effect for the new school year in September, but experts warn that bans alone won’t solve digital safety and face challenges verifying ages, while opponents raise concerns about free access to information; other countries like Australia and the UK are considering or implementing similar restrictions.