France's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok.

President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September.

"France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers," Macron said in a video posted on social media, hailing "a major step forward."

He thanked members of parliament for backing the legislation.

"The Constitutional Council must now rule on it, and then it will be time to take action to make this measure a reality and protect our children online," he added on X.

After approval by the Senate earlier on Tuesday, members of the National Assembly passed the bill by 279 votes to 81.

A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children.

The ban was to be rolled out in two stages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accounts from September 1. The ban would apply to existing accounts from January 2027, according to the legislation.

Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said ahead of the vote that the timeline was realistic, "because age-verification tools already exist" with others still in the works, and the onus was on the platforms to impose the rule.

"For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age," she told journalists.

"If someone is under 15, the account will be closed."

The minister also gave assurances that users' personal data would be protected.

Enforcing the measure by September would also ensure that one provision of the bill – a ban on mobile phones in high schools – takes effect at the beginning of the French school year. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong