Emmanuel Macron: EU debate takes shape as Macron backs under-15 social media ban

French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: AP)

France is preparing a second attempt at restricting social media for children under 15 while President Emmanuel Macron presses Brussels to turn the same age limit into a common European rule.He made the EU push in an August 29 letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for a new “European legislative text” to “protect all children in the Union”. The request came after France’s Constitutional Council stopped the country’s planned restrictions before they could take effect on September 1.

Macron seeks one age limit across EU

In his letter, Macron told von der Leyen that it was now “essential to go further” and harmonise the under-15 restriction through European legislation. He has also sought support among EU countries for a common “digital majority”, although governments differ over the age at which unrestricted social media access should begin, AFP reported. Von der Leyen has said Europe should consider “phased and gradual access for different age ranges”.Recommendations presented to the Commission would impose the tightest controls on children under 13 and allow broader access as they get older, provided platforms meet safety requirements. Nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent EU survey backed age-based restrictions on children’s social media access, according to the European Commission.

Court blocked French ban before September rollout

France’s parliament had backed restrictions barring children under 15 from social media from September 1. The Constitutional Council struck down the relevant provisions on August 14, meaning the ban never came into force.The proposed rules would also have required age verification and the closure of existing accounts belonging to users below the threshold. The council found the blanket restriction disproportionate, saying it did not sufficiently distinguish between platforms according to the risks they posed or between children based on factors including age, maturity and family circumstances. It also raised concerns over safeguards governing age verification and personal data, Reuters reported.The ruling nevertheless left room for another attempt. The council recognised protecting children’s best interests as a legitimate constitutional objective, and Macron has said he hopes to “find a way forward” through a narrower measure that complies with both EU law and the French Constitution.His August 29 letter followed that ruling, taking the campaign to the European level even as France began work on a revised national text.

High school phone restrictions take effect

A separate French measure restricting mobile phone use in schools did take effect with the start of the 2026-27 academic year. Rules already applied in primary and middle schools were extended to high schools from September 1, according to the French education ministry.While visiting Lycée Chaptal in Mende that day, Macron defended the measure, telling pupils that using a phone at school was “not compatible with paying attention in classes”. He said the problem extended to adults, adding that attendees at some Elysée meetings were now asked to surrender their phones to prevent them from checking the devices during discussions.The school collected pupils’ phones in numbered compartments during the visit. Reactions were mixed, with some students accepting the restriction and others describing it as “infantilising”. Teachers’ unions have questioned how rapidly schools can put the rules into practice.He also used the visit to return to social media access for minors. “This creates addictions and dependencies. It also leads to attention disorders,” Macron told pupils. He added that heavier exposure to screens and social networks made it harder to sustain attention and concentrate on reading.France is now expected to produce revised national legislation in the coming months, while the European Commission prepares its own proposals following the expert panel’s recommendations.