French President Emmanuel Macron has called for European Union legislation to prevent children under 15 from accessing social media, urging the bloc to adopt a common minimum age across its 27 member states.
Macron has asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to support EU-wide rules establishing 15 as the minimum age for social media use.
In a letter sent to von der Leyen on August 29, Macron argued that action at the European level was necessary after France’s attempt to introduce similar national restrictions was rejected by the Constitutional Council.
Protecting children from the potential risks associated with social media has become a major priority for Macron, amid growing concerns about the platforms’ impact on young people’s mental health and online safety.
However, Macron’s proposal faces opposition from some EU countries, particularly in Scandinavia, where governments have argued that parents should have the primary responsibility for deciding when their children can access social media.
Macron is seeking support from other EU governments for stronger restrictions as France approaches its 2027 presidential election, which will take place after his second and final term in office.
The French president has also said France will revise its rejected legislation and seek to establish a new national framework for restricting children’s access to social media.
At the EU level, von der Leyen said in July that the bloc was examining measures to limit young children’s access to social media.
The European Commission is considering recommendations from experts that would introduce age-based restrictions, including limited and supervised access for children under 13, with greater freedom as they get older.
Macron is advocating a stricter approach, calling for social media access to be prohibited until children reach the age of 15.