French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the European Commission to back a European Union-wide ban on social media for children under 15 after France failed to enact its own legislation, his office said on Tuesday.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dated Aug. 29 and seen by Reuters and other media, Macron said it had become urgent to introduce a bloc-wide ban through new EU legislation after France's Constitutional Council struck down a national bill this summer before it was due to take effect in September.
"I believe it has now become essential to go further and, through a new European legislative text, harmonise a ban on access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15, in order to protect all children across the Union," Macron wrote.
Following Australia's landmark social media ban for children adopted last year, several European countries are considering their own curbs amid growing concern over the impact of social media on young people's mental health and safety. But some countries, especially in Scandinavia, believe it is best left for parents to decide.
Macron, now in his final year as French president, has taken up the cause as a priority before the next French presidential election in 2027, and has been lobbying other EU governments to back restrictions. He said France would separately rework the legislation struck down by the Constitutional Council, though political fragmentation in parliament and difficult budget negotiations could complicate efforts to pass a new law.
Von der Leyen said in July that the European Union would move to limit young children's access to social media across the 27-member bloc, citing proposals from two experts recommending a tiered system. Under that approach, children under 13 would only be allowed limited, supervised access, with restrictions eased gradually as they get older.
Macron is seeking a tougher approach, pushing for a blanket ban on social media access until the age of 15, ahead of Von der Leyen's flagship State of the Union speech to the EU parliament later this month.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
