French lawmakers urge social media ban for under-15s

CHILDREN under 15 in France should be banned entirely from using social media, and those aged between 15 and 18 should face a nighttime "digital curfew", a French parliamentary committee urged yesterday.

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The recommendations were put forward in a report by the committee's lawmakers after months of testimony from families, social media executives and from influencers.

President Emmanuel Macron's office has already indicated it wants to see a ban for children and young adolescents, after Australia last year started drafting its own landmark law with a prohibition for those under 16.

Committee chief Arthur Delaporte told AFP he would also file a criminal complaint with prosecutors against the massively popular short video platform TikTok for "endangering the lives" of users. The committee had been set up in March, initially to examine TikTok and its psychological effects on minors after a 2024 lawsuit against the platform by seven families accusing it of exposing their children to content pushing them towards suicide.