PARIS, France, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time. As social media has grown, so has concern that too much screen time is harming child development and contributing to mental health problems. He added that "social media platforms will then have until December 31 to deactivate existing accounts" that do not comply with the age limit. - 'Destiny of our country' -In addition to combatting the impact of screens and social media on the mental health of young adolescents, Attal stressed that the measure would counter "a number of powers that, through social media platforms, want to colonise minds". On Monday, nine child protection associations urged lawmakers to "hold platforms accountable", not "ban" children from social media.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 27, 2026 03:28 UTC