Macron called for a pan-European law banning social media for children

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to deliver a “European legislative text” to ban children aged under 15 from social media to “protect all children in the Union”, reported by Franceinfo.

In a letter addressed to von der Leyen, Macron called for the protection of minors and the implementation of a reliable age-verification system.

For her part, the head of the European Commission plans to present proposals this autumn to restrict access to social media for different age groups.

Macron insists on a tough approach: a ban for children under 15, the regulation of addictive algorithms, and time limits on application usage.

In August, Macron signed a law banning the use of mobile phones by high school students, announcing that the ban would take effect at the start of the school year.

In late July, the French parliament passed a bill banning social media for individuals under 15. The first phase of the restrictions was scheduled to take effect on September 1, but the Constitutional Council deemed this measure an excessive restriction on the freedom of speech of minors and struck it down.