In late July, the French National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to ban children under 15 from social media — a measure framed as protecting youth from documented mental health harms, but one whose technical requirements demand identity verification from every user, not just minors. The law, backed by nearly the entire French political establishment, will require citizens to submit passports, biometric data, or government-linked digital wallets to access social platforms beginning September 2026. Critics observe that no technology can confirm a child's age without first confirming everyone's id