French president wants to further restrict minors’ use of smartphones

3 months ago 19

Facing a tough legislative election at the end of the month, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday (12 June) that he wants to ban children under 11 from using mobile phones.

France has already passed restrictions on minors using technology, and children’s protection is also high on the upcoming EU agenda, but Macron’s proposal goes further.

At the press conference on the upcoming snap elections, Macron said he supports “restricting access to social media before the age of 15.”

Macron called the elections after his party’s defeat in the EU vote, in which the far-right Rassemblement national (ID) got almost twice as many votes as his Renaissance (Renew).

It could be a popular move as 70% of French parents struggle to control their children’s social media usage, according to an October 2023 e-enfance report.

Re-elected MEP Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew, France) also took the opportunity to highlight on X similar measures she said she is pushing at the EU level.

Meanwhile, Greens MP Sandrine Rousseau called him a “fake” for concerning himself with the issue of minors and technology while “fascism is at the gates of power” in a post on X.

The debate on minors’ protection online

Macron’s proposals are building off an expert report by a special committee delivered to the Élysée Palace in April, which advised against mobile phones for children under 11, restricting internet access on mobile phones until age 13, and limiting social media access on mobile phones until age 15.

The Renaissance’s programme for the EU elections proposed a “digital majority” at 15, parental controls “by design” on mobile devices, and “systematic age verification for access to websites prohibited to minors,” such as pornographic websites.

The party programme did not include a smartphone ban for children under 11.

The EU debate

The issue of minors’ access to digital services has been increasingly discussed at the EU level.

It is expected that restricting the use of social media or smartphones for minors under 15 could be part of an upcoming discussion around updating EU consumer law for the digital age, said a source an EU source close to the matter.

Internal documents sent by the Commission to MEPs and the French government, seen by Euractiv, indicate that the EU executive has been working on age verification systems as part of implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The centre-right European People’s Party, which won the most seats in last week’s elections, included minors’ protection in the digital sphere in its election manifesto.

A European Parliament report on addictive design called for increased minors’ protection online but did not include age verification systems or age-based access restrictions.

The paradox

Macron’s government has turned its children’s protection agenda into legislation. Two laws, enacted in July 2023 and May 2024, outlined restrictions for minors’ use of social media and mandatory age verification for pornographic websites.

Yet, these national laws mostly miss their original target because of EU rules. They can only be applied to global platforms with French headquarters, but not those with headquarters anywhere else in the bloc.

New EU regulations would apply across the bloc but would repeal most of the provisions of the French laws. However, they would compel all platforms operating in the EU to abide by certain rules, which France is actively seeking to influence.