Macron calls on EU to ban social media for children under 15
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Commission to introduce an EU-wide ban on access to social media for children under the age of 15. He set out the initiative in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dated August 29.
Macron’s proposal
As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, the French president considers it necessary to adopt a new EU-wide law that would standardize a ban on access to social media platforms for children under 15 across all European Union countries. According to him, this should protect children throughout the EU.
Macron appealed to the European Commission after France’s Constitutional Council blocked a national law this summer that had been due to take effect in September. The president also said that France would separately revise this law. At the same time, political fragmentation in parliament and difficult budget negotiations could complicate the adoption of a new document.
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Approaches in the EU
Several European countries are considering restrictions on minors’ use of social media due to concerns about the platforms’ impact on young people’s mental health and safety. At the same time, some countries, primarily in Scandinavia, believe that decisions on children’s access to social media should be made by parents.
In July, Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU intended to restrict young children’s access to social media in all 27 member states. She referred to proposals by two experts for a phased system: children under 13 would be allowed only limited supervised access, while the restrictions would be eased with age. Macron, however, supports a complete ban on access to social media until the age of 15.
