France becomes first EU country to ban social media access for under-15s

27 July 2026

France’s parliament has approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making it the first EU country to prohibit children from using apps such as TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram. Social media, and particularly their algorithms, have been recognised to have harmful effects on children. They can contribute to body dissatisfaction and increase the risk of eating disorders by flooding young users with weight-loss content, appearance-focused trends, beauty filters and other promotional content that may encourage unhealthy or compulsive eating behaviours.

The ban will be introduced in two stages. From 1 September, children under 15 will be blocked from creating new accounts. Then, from January 2027, the ban will apply to existing accounts, through age-verification tools, such as the one launched by the European Commission.

The European Commission has been considering social media restrictions after calls from several member states, including France, Greece and Spain, to limit access to children. The Digital Services act, a European regulation that establishes a unified legal framework for online platforms, enhancing user rights, platform accountability, and transparency, provides an opportunity for the EU to address online harms and help prevent eating disorders.