France is proposing a law to prohibit children under 15 from using social media and to extend a school mobile phone ban to high schools from September 2026. A draft cites studies on the risks of excessive screen time, and President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for EU-level action after a deadly school stabbing. Paris points to Australia's Dec. 10 policy that bars under-16s from social accounts as a model. France's Council of State is due to issue its opinion on Jan. 8 and Parliament is expected to begin debate in January.
France Proposes Ban on Social Media for Under-15s, Extends Phone Ban to High Schools from Sept. 2026
France is preparing legislation that would bar children under the age of 15 from holding social media accounts and would extend an existing school mobile phone ban to high schools beginning in September 2026, French media reported.
What the Proposal Says
A draft law cited by Le Monde says, "Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents," and frames the measures as public-health and safety steps meant to protect young people.
Mobile phones have been banned in French elementary and middle schools since 2018; the proposed legislation would expand that prohibition to high school students. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly linked social media to rising youth violence and signaled that France should look to measures adopted abroad as potential models.
International Context
Paris has cited Australia as an example. On Dec. 10, Australia began enforcing a pioneering restriction that prevents users under 16 from holding social media accounts — a move French officials have pointed to when outlining their plans.
Macron has also said he would seek European Union–level rules to limit children's access to social platforms following a fatal school stabbing in eastern France.
Next Steps
Macron asked Parliament to begin debating the proposal in January, and France's Council of State is scheduled to issue an opinion on the measure on Jan. 8, according to local reports. If approved, the mobile phone ban would take effect in high schools from the start of the 2026-2027 school year (September 2026).
Reporters' notes: Reuters contributed to this report. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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