EU Demands Changes to France’s Social Media Ban for Under-15s

Brussels – 14/07/2026: The European Commission is demanding changes to a French legislative proposal that would prohibit minors under the age of 15 from accessing certain social networks. In Brussels’ assessment, the current draft is not fully compatible with European digital law. However, the fundamental aim of providing better protection for children and young people online is not being questioned.

The criticism focuses on the planned role of the French regulatory authority Arcom. Under the previous version, it was to monitor compliance with the ban and report possible violations by platforms to the European Commission or the competent authorities in the respective country of establishment. Brussels considers this to overlap with responsibilities laid down at European level under the Digital Services Act.

EU rules generally provide that large online platforms are primarily supervised by the authorities of the country in which they are established within the European Union. France therefore cannot simply create additional obligations or enforcement mechanisms for platforms whose European establishment is located in another Member State. The French measure must be adjusted to respect this division of powers.

The legislative proposal continues to pursue the aim of limiting access to social networks before the age of 15. It provides for a list of services that could be covered because of potential risks to the physical, mental or moral development of children and young people. This list is to be established and updated as necessary by decree of the minister responsible for digital affairs, following an opinion from Arcom.

The French Parliament had already considered several versions of the text. The National Assembly approved the proposal at first reading in January 2026, while the Senate amended the draft in March 2026. Following the latest comments from Brussels, the legislation must undergo further legal revision before the parliamentary process can be completed.

On 8 July 2026, the Senate stated that the Commission had given the green light to a revised version of the mechanism. This version more clearly separates the political decision on a list of affected networks from the supervision of platforms. Arcom would therefore identify violations and refer them to the bodies or authorities competent at EU level, rather than independently exercising European enforcement powers.

The proposal has therefore not failed definitively, but its original design cannot remain unchanged. The key question now will be whether the National Assembly and the Senate adopt a version that combines the protection of minors with the requirements of the European Digital Services Act. Only then will it be possible to determine which services would be specifically affected and from when an age limit could apply.