French lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by president Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.
The lower national assembly adopted the text by a vote of 130 to 21 in a lengthy overnight session from Monday to Tuesday.
It will now go to the Senate, France’s upper house, ahead of becoming law.
Macron hailed the vote as a “major step” to protect French children and teenagers in a post on X.
The legislation, which also provides for a ban on mobile phones in high schools, would make France the second country to take such a step following Australia’s ban for under-16s in December.
As social media has grown, so has concern that too much screen time is harming child development and contributing to mental health problems.
Hellbound and Down 