France has become the first European Union nation to prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, a law set to take effect in January 2027 under the stewardship of President Emmanuel Macron. The measure reflects a growing conviction among Western governments that the digital commons, left ungoverned, poses genuine harm to the young — yet history, most recently from Australia, suggests that the distance between a law's intention and its lived reality can be vast. At stake is not only whether such bans can be enforced, but whether protection imposed without the voice of those being pr
France becomes first EU nation to ban social media for under-15s from 2027
The ban may restrict young people's access to news and political information, potentially limiting their civic engagement and digital participation.