France is set to become the second country in the world to ban social media for under-15s. What about Belgium?

The issue of banning social media for minors is moving forward, with France leading the way. But the issue is not so simple. Europe has a say… and its weight to bring to bear against the American giants.

“With this law, we will set a clear limit in society. We are saying one simple thing: social media is not harmless. They promised to connect, but they have fragmented. They promised to inform, but they have saturated. They promised to entertain, but they have locked us in.”

The words of Laure Miller, deputy for Marne (Ensemble pour la République), who initiated the bill strongly supported by President Macron, carried weight. In addition to the government camp, the majority of Socialists and the far-right alliance Rassemblement National-Union des Droites pour la République voted yesterday, Monday, January 26, in favor of the text.

France is set to become the second country in the world to ban social media for under-15s. The key article of the proposed law was adopted by the National Assembly by 116 votes to 23. It stipulates that “access to online social networking services provided by online platforms [shall be] prohibited to minors under the age of 15,” including Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

EU countries are still figuring it out

Last November, the European Parliament adopted, by a large majority, a non-binding report prohibiting children under the age of 16 from freely accessing social media in the European Union.

Pending the implementation of common measures, several countries are proposing national initiatives.

In October 2025, Denmark announced a bill to ban access to social media for children under the age of 15, while allowing parents to authorize its use from the age of 13. Similarly, in Spain, social media is to be banned for children under the age of 16; the bill is currently under review. In the UK, pressure is mounting on Keir Starmer after the House of Lords voted in favor of an amendment to ban social media for children under 16. But the government is opposed to this… and it has a majority in the House of Commons.

No unanimity

In Belgium, on the French-speaking side, the ban has been championed for several months by MR Jacqueline Galant, who points out that a possible ban would be a federal matter. And therefore a matter for Vanessa Matz, the minister responsible for digital affairs. The issue is attracting a lot of interest. Opinions are often divided. Vanessa Matz confirms that she has received death threats—anonymous, of course, on social media…

But what is the point of a national law when the issue is a European one? Provided there is agreement. Already, the concept of age varies. Here it is 15, there it is 16. It is clear that not all European countries are on the same wavelength. There is no unanimity. Some Member States—particularly in the east—are more inclined towards the concept of “age estimation” in order to be able to block or not block content from young users.

In practical terms, it would be the platforms themselves that would estimate the user’s age based on the data provided by the user. This would mean that young people could view inappropriate content, but also that these companies would ultimately have access to personal data. “Unacceptable” for Vanessa Matz.

Age verification

Today, in theory, social media is already prohibited for children under 13 in Europe. So how can this measure be effectively enforced? Is it possible to control young people’s access to social media?

The main difficulty lies in the obligation to comply with European law—more specifically, with the DSA (Digital Services Act). The European regulation provides clear definitions, which apply throughout the EU, of what constitutes an intermediary service provider, a hosting service, an online platform, and an online social networking service.

The goal is to avoid the same fate as a 2023 law establishing a digital majority at age 15… but which was never enforced. For the ban to become a reality, an effective age verification system will have to be put in place: a “trusted third party,” which would be “neither the state nor social media platforms,” could use either facial recognition or the uploading of identity documents. Or a solution such as itsme…