Lawmakers in Paris voted Tuesday to shut social media platforms off to children under 15, a first for any European Union member state. Companies will now be on the hook to verify users’ ages rather than rely on self-reported birthdates, and face fines if they don’t.
Behind the vote is a stark number from French regulator Arcom: children aged 12 to 17 in France spend an average of one hour and 21 minutes a day on TikTok alone. Arcom says the platform’s recommendation algorithm tends to push the most “extreme” content, feeding teenagers a steady stream of videos designed to provoke anxiety or otherwise cause harm.
The crackdown doesn’t stop at access. Advertisers are barred from targeting under-15s with social media promotions altogether, and starting this September, French high schoolers will also lose phone access on campus — part of a broader effort lawmakers say is aimed at reversing the mental health toll of constant screen exposure on kids.
The access ban takes hold the same month, timed to the start of the school year.
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