France bans children under 15 from using social media.

The decision was passed by the French National Assembly with 130 votes in favor and 21 against after a lengthy session on January 26. French President Emmanuel Macron, a fervent supporter of the initiative, hailed it as "a major step forward" in protecting French children and teenagers from excessive screen time.

With this move, France will become the second country in the world to implement a similar ban, following Australia's adoption of a ban on children under 16 last December.

The new bill explicitly stipulates that access to online social networking services will be strictly prohibited for minors under the age of 15. However, this regulation will not apply to educational platforms or online encyclopedias.

Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal expressed hope that the Senate would soon pass the bill by mid-February so that the ban could take effect from September 1st. He also added that social media platforms would have until December 31st to disable existing accounts that do not comply with age restrictions.

The main reason driving French authorities to make this tough decision is the growing concern that excessive screen time is harmful to children's development and contributes to mental health problems.

According to the French public health watchdog ANSES, apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram can have many adverse effects on teenagers, especially girls, including the risk of cyberbullying and exposure to violent content.

President Macron emphatically stated in a video: "The emotions of our children are not for sale or to be manipulated, whether by American platforms or Chinese algorithms."

However, the bill also faced opposition when MP Arnaud Saint-Martin criticized it as "a form of digital rule" and an overly simplistic response to the negative impacts of technology.

For this ban to truly take effect, France needs to establish an effective age verification system, something that authorities at the European level are working to develop. Furthermore, former French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne expressed caution, stating that enforcement would be complex and that it is essential to ensure that the ban on mobile phones in schools is being strictly followed.

France is currently considering extending the ban on mobile phone use to high school students, after having already implemented the measure for students aged 11 to 15 in 2018.

Source: https://congluan.vn/phap-cam-tre-em-duoi-15-tuoi-su-dung-mang-xa-hoi-10328335.html