France’s Senate has voted to ban social media for children under 15, but legal disagreements with the government could complicate plans to bring the measure into force by September.
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Lawmakers approved the proposal on Tuesday, following a vote in the National Assembly in January.
The reform is a key pledge of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term and would restrict access to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for younger users.
But the Senate adopted a different version of the law from the government, raising questions about how it will be applied.
Key issues include how to verify users’ ages, whether the rules comply with European law and how to ensure they respect fundamental freedoms.
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A ban with exceptions
Rather than a blanket ban, the Senate chose a two-tier system that separates platforms into different categories.
Services considered harmful to a child’s “physical, mental or moral development” would be placed on a blacklist set by ministerial decree. These platforms would be banned for under-15s, with age checks required.
Other platforms would remain accessible, but only with approval from at least one parent.
“Establishing a list provides the necessary flexibility” to adopt a system that is “applicable, operational” and respects fundamental freedoms, said Catherine Morin-Desailly, the Senate’s rapporteur.
The government had pushed for a broader ban with no parental exemption and no distinction between platforms. It argued the Senate’s version could conflict with European law.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote to Senate president Gérard Larcher warning of “legal fragilities” in the text, said Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff.
However the Senate rejected the government’s position, with 303 votes against its version and just 37 in favour.
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EU decision pending
Laurent Lafon, head of the Senate’s culture and education committee, criticised what he described as a “take it or leave it” approach from the government.
He also said the European Commission had contacted the Senate directly on Monday to say the text complied with EU law. The government said it had received the opposite view from Brussels in verbal exchanges.
It will now refer the Senate’s text to the European Commission by the end of the week, with Brussels expected to respond within about “three months”, Le Hénanff said.
After that, MPs and senators will meet in a joint committee to agree on a final version, before a last vote in both chambers.
A separate proposal could also allow France to ban mobile phones in high schools, extending existing rules in primary and middle schools.
(with AFP)
