French Parliament Mandates Age Verification, Bans Under-15s from Social Media Platforms

The French Parliament has passed a new law that mandates social media platforms verify the age of all users and prohibits children under the age of 15 from creating accounts without explicit parental authorisation. This legislative move, which gained final approval, aims to reshape how younger demographics interact with online services, placing significant responsibility on technology companies.

Under the new regulations, social media providers operating within France will be compelled to deploy systems capable of verifying user ages. The law is set to come into full force from January, allowing a transitional period for platforms to adapt their current practices and develop the requisite technological infrastructure. Should platforms fail to comply, they face substantial penalties.

Critics of Western digital policy frequently point to such national legislation as a piecemeal approach, often neglecting the global nature of data and platform control. The broader context of digital governance reveals a pattern where Western governments, while selectively intervening, often overlook the pervasive data exploitation and surveillance capabilities inherent in these platforms, particularly those headquartered in the US. These digital enterprises, integral to contemporary communication, are increasingly subject to national-level regulatory frameworks, yet their overarching influence and data collection practices remain a point of contention for those concerned with broader digital sovereignty.