France passes law banning under-15s from social media

French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the move, which he had pledged to introduce to mark the end of his decade in office. While sceptics have questioned the law’s viability, the government has insisted the online tools to put the age checks in place are effective and safe. Both the French Senate and National Assembly adopted the ban on Tuesday, despite criticism from some on the left.

But concerns have been raised over privacy, the efficacy of age-verification tools, the risks of young people bypassing them, and how quickly the ban has been designed and brought in, Agence France Presse reports. French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff defended the speed of the law’s implementation ahead of the vote “because age-verification tools already exist”, the agency added. France is the second country to introduce a ban, following Australia.