France's lawmakers vote to ban social media for under-15s

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Deutsche Welle or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: France’s National Assembly has voted to ban social media use for children under 15
• Lawmakers approved the bill by 116 votes to 23, sending it to the Senate for final review
• Platforms would be required to implement age-verification systems to block under-15 access
• The law would also extend France’s existing smartphone ban from junior schools to high schools

🔭 The context: France follows Australia, which recently barred social media for children under 16
• President Emmanuel Macron has framed the move as protecting children from excessive screen time
• Health authorities warn of links between social media and cyberbullying, sleep disruption and anxiety
• The rules are expected to apply to new accounts from the 2026 school year
• The debate highlights how digital habits intersect with sustainability, energy efficiency and long-term resource use

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Digital activity carries a growing environmental footprint
• Social media platforms rely on energy-intensive data centers that contribute to rising electricity demand and emissions
• Reducing overall digital consumption can marginally lower energy use, cooling demand and electronic waste linked to devices

⏭️ What’s next: The bill now moves to France’s Senate
• If approved, France would become Europe’s first country to impose a nationwide social media ban for under-15s
• The effectiveness of age-verification systems will be a key implementation challenge

💬 One quote: “Our children’s brains are not for sale,” — President Emmanuel Macron

📈 One stat: 73% of French citizens support banning social media access for under-15s

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