France has become the first country in the European Union to pass a law banning access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15.
The bill was approved on Tuesday by the French Parliament, initially in the Senate with 243 votes in favor and 2 against, and then received approval in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, with 279 votes in favor and 81 against.
The measure has been supported by President Emmanuel Macron, who intends for it to be implemented from the start of the new school year in September, with the aim of protecting the mental health and well-being of minors.
"We French people will all have to prove our age for four months. If we are under 15, the account on the platform will be closed," declared Digital Media Minister Anne Le Havre.
According to the law, the ban will begin to apply to new accounts from September 1, while for existing accounts it will come into effect after the end of the age verification period, on January 1, 2027.
Although some MPs have expressed doubts about the practical implementation of this measure in such a short time, the French government insists that the age verification system will be functional.
The law also prohibits the use of mobile phones in secondary schools, expanding a measure that already applies to primary and secondary schools. School internal regulations may specify exceptional cases.
The legal text does not foresee any penalties for children or their parents. The responsibility will be passed on to social media platforms, which will have to verify the age of users.
The European Commission introduced a European age verification app in April, while private companies have also developed similar technologies to control minors' access to the internet.
