French President Emmanuel Macron has asked the European Commission to draft a common regulation banning access to social networks for children under the age of 15 in all European Union countries.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Macron argues that a "European text" is needed to guarantee the protection of children across the European Union.

The French President has asked the Commission services to immediately start work on drafting the new legal framework, describing the situation as urgent. According to him, a common European approach is needed as some member states have expressed support for establishing a “digital age of majority”, while there is still no agreement on the exact age limit.

Paris had previously attempted to impose a similar measure at the national level, but the relevant law was struck down in August by France's Constitutional Council.

Despite this decision, Macron has stated that he intends to present a new legislative proposal in the fall. This framework, according to him, must be in accordance with both European law and the French Constitution.

Another important point of the proposal relates to the method of verifying the age of users. Macron calls for reliable mechanisms to be used at national and European level, while guaranteeing respect for the privacy of minors.

The French initiative is not limited to the minimum age for using social networks. Macron also calls for stricter rules on platform features that could encourage excessive use or addiction in children.

Among the proposed measures are the establishment of automatic security standards and the possibility of limiting the time spent using social networks.

Macron aims for the new measures to come into force in France before the end of his presidential term, while calling for a unified European regulation to ensure the same level of protection for children in all member states.