French lawmakers approve sweeping social media ban for children under 15

PARIS (AP) — France banned children under 15 from using social media on Tuesday, becoming the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban on the platforms as concerns grow worldwide over the harmful effects of digital content on kids.

Both chambers of the Parliament voted in favour of the measure, a flagship initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron’s second term. 

The bill also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools.

Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content. 

Children’s advocates and parents applauded the vote.

“We’ve been campaigning for this bill from the start because, frankly, we have no other option, no other way to counter tech giants,” said Gaëlle Berbonde, a 52-year-old who lives in the Paris region. 

“The only thing we can do is protect our children, just as we protect our children from drinking alcohol.”

Berbonde told The Associated Press that her daughter was in seventh grade when she got her first smartphone. 

A parental control app helped monitor what she did online, but Berbonde had no idea what TikTok really was. 

After a few months, the family realised that the daughter was cutting herself and was suffering from anorexia and depression. 

She spent a year and a half in the hospital but is now 16 and well.

The legislation is one of the final major measures adopted under Macron’s presidency before he leaves office next year. 

Macron wants the law to take effect at the start of the new school year in September. 

However, a review to determine whether the bill complies with the French Constitution is likely to take place and could delay its implementation.

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