The French government has renewed its push to keep teens off social media before they turn 15.
Paris already has a national bill that prevents users under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, but is making a pitch to fellow European Union member countries to come up with a bloc-wide solution. The French government has urged Poland, which will take up the rotating Council of the EU presidency in January, to take action on the matter.
The EU should follow the example of Australia, which has pitched a social media ban for under-16s, French Education Minister Anne Genetet told POLITICO on the sidelines of Monday’s EU education and youth ministers meeting.
Her call comes at a time when there’s increasing concern among European politicians about social media platforms, their addictive features and their role in teens’ mental health crises. It could turn up in the next phase of the EU’s regulatory crackdown on tech companies.
“We would like that something very similar could be put in place, enforced in Europe,” Genetet said, referring to Australia’s example. She added that the matter was an “emergency.” “We absolutely urgently need something to be put in place.”
France has tried its luck before but was rebuffed by then-Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who argued the French rules ran counter to the bloc’s content-moderation rulebook, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the internal market.
But now the political tide might have turned: France is not the only country that has suggested raising the minimum age to use social media platforms.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also called for a 15-and-over age minimum on social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has floated an EU-wide inquiry on the effects of social media on young people’s mental health.
Genetet clarified that Paris wanted a Europe-wide technical solution, under the DSA, that could supplement the French law.
Paris’ push for a social media age minimum is embedded in a broader strategy around kids and screen time.
Genetet noted four critical ages for kids when it comes to screen exposure. Before the age of 3, children should not be exposed to screens, while between the ages of 3 and 6, they shouldn’t view screens without parental oversight. They should not use mobile phones before the age of 11, nor use social media platforms before the age of 15.
The post France doubles down on age minimum of 15 for social media use appeared first on Politico.
