French politicians voting on social media ban for under-15s

French politicians have voted for a plan to ban social media use by under-15s.

The plan will now go to their parliament's next stage for final approval before being made into law.

If passed, it means that young teenagers in France would not be able to use social media apps like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok.

French President Emmanuel Macron said it was a "major step" and that "our children's brains are not for sale".

It comes after Australia's government voted to ban social media for under-16s in November last year, and the UK the government says it is also looking into proposals for a ban for under-16s too.

If the plan does become law, politicians say it could come into effect as soon as 1 September 2026, for the start of school term.

Under the new rules, the French body in charge of overseeing the media would put together a list of social media networks that are thought to be harmful, and these would be banned completely for under 15-year-olds.

As well as this, a separate list of 'less harmful' sites would be useable by under-15s, but only with parental approval.

Another part of the bill would ban the use of mobile phones in senior schools.

A ban is already in place in junior and middle schools in France.

"With this law we will set down a clear limit in society." said Laure Miller, an MP behind the bill, speaking to the French newspaper Le Monde.

"We are saying something very simple: social networks are not harmless," she added.

Last month, President Emmanuel Macron said: "We cannot leave the mental and emotional health of our children in the hands of people whose sole purpose is to make money out of them."

In 2025 Australia became the first country in the world to bring in a social media ban for under-16s.

There have been calls for a similar ban to happen in the UK and the government says it is also looking into proposals.

This week the Education Secretary told schools that it is "not appropriate for phones to be used as calculators, or for research during lessons".

The guidance also says teachers should avoid using their own phones in front of pupils too.

Politicians in Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland have also said that they are thinking about following the Australian example.

And in Malaysia, leaders have also said that they plan to ban under-16s from having open social media accounts, with new rules planned for 2026.