CIVICUS discusses France’s proposed ban on social media for children with Noé Hamon, co-founder of ctrl+alt+reclaim, Europe’s first youth-led movement for digital rights and technological justice.

On 14 August, the French Constitutional Council blocked a ban on social media for under-15s, which had been passed by parliament on 21 July. The measure would have made France the first country in the European Union to introduce a ‘digital age of majority’. Despite this setback, President Emmanuel Macron stated that his government would table a new bill as soon as possible, to come into force in early 2027.

What does the ‘digital age of majority’ entail, and how has this initiative progressed?

The protection of children and young people in the digital space was one of President Macron’s 2022 campaign pledges. He wanted to make France a pioneer in the protection of children online and add this success to the track record of a government facing increasing criticism. As early as 2023, legislators from Macron’s camp proposed a digital age of majority starting at 15 years old. However, European law stood in the way and the bill was struck down.

In July 2025, the European Commission published new guidelines under Article 28 of the Digital Services Regulation, known as the Digital Services Act, which allowed for restrictions on access based on age verification. Legislators from Macron’s camp then tabled a new bill in November 2025. The bill was eventually adopted in July 2026, before being struck down by the Constitutional Council. It provided for a strict ban on all social media platforms, with the exception of educational platforms, for those under 15, as well as a ban on mobile phones in schools.

How did the Constitutional Council justify its decision, and what was the public’s reaction?

The Constitutional Council partially struck down the bill; the ban on mobile phones in schools remains in force. It argued that the bill constituted a disproportionate infringement of teenagers’ freedom of expression. It also highlighted the lack of safeguards regarding privacy if the entire population were required to have their age verified.

The public reaction was mixed. Supporters of the law argued that the Constitutional Council was putting young people at risk in the name of freedom of expression. Others, including myself, felt that the responsibility for protecting young people should not fall on them, but on the platforms, which must be compelled to change their systems. The method of age verification to be used, meanwhile, had not yet been revealed and could have posed serious privacy concerns.

What changes should the government make to its next bill?

The government must first listen to young people and take their needs into account, rather than impose a ready-made solution on them. It must then tackle the platforms themselves, and their business model.

Users are not products to be exploited. We must put an end to toxic features enabled by default, such as hyper-personalised algorithms, infinite scrolling and anything else that encourages users to spend ever more time on these platforms.

Can a ban really work in the face of fake accounts and VPNs?

A ban can’t work without age verification. And apart from the fact that age verification could infringe everyone’s privacy, it can also be easily circumvented through the use of VPNs and the creation of fake accounts. 

The example of Australia illustrates the failure of this approach. Almost 80 per cent of young people have not changed their habits, and many have circumvented the law. Worse still, the subject has vanished from family discussions, because parents, believing the law to be enforced, thought their children were protected and stopped talking to them about it. Children under 15 who circumvent the law thus find themselves ‘outlaws’ and no longer dare confide in their parents when faced with dangerous situations.

A simple ban therefore merely hides the problem without solving it. The measure is deeply dangerous for young people.

What role can civil society play in protecting children online?

Civil society can put pressure on governments and companies to adopt social media platforms that are safe by design, that is, not driven by the pursuit of profit and, consequently, by the maximisation of engagement.

We must also raise awareness among young people about cyberbullying, cissexism, disinformation and other unpleasant things they may encounter online.

CIVICUS interviews a wide range of civil society activists, experts and leaders to gather diverse perspectives on civil society action and current issues for publication on its CIVICUS Lens platform. The views expressed in interviews are the interviewees’ and do not necessarily reflect those of CIVICUS. Publication does not imply endorsement of interviewees or the organisations they represent.