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EU Says French Social-Media Age Limit Needs Changes to Comply with Digital Services Act
The European Commission on July 6 said a French draft law banning social media for minors under 15 overlaps with the Digital Services Act and cannot take effect without amendments. France must revise the measure to comply with EU rules before any approval after August 10.
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The European Commission ruled on July 6 that a French draft law banning social media access for children under 15 would infringe EU rules if passed in its current form. Le Monde reported that the measure overlaps with the bloc's Digital Services Act, which assigns primary enforcement powers to Brussels.
EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission shares France's goal of protecting minors online and credited France as an important driver of the debate.
He added that the opinion aims to keep national measures effective while minimizing legal fragmentation across member states. The opinion does not block France from setting a minimum age for social media but requires changes to align with EU law. The draft cannot advance before August 10 because of required EU procedures.
The French Sénat had modified the bill, prompting the government to warn that those changes would render it non-compliant. Le Monde noted prior EU actions, including a February order for TikTok to alter its addictive design features and an April finding that Meta fails to block children under 13 from Facebook and Instagram.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tasked an expert panel with recommendations on child online protection due July 13.
