On March 2, a proposed bill introduced by Laurent Marcangeli, a deputy from the Horizons group aligned with the presidential majority, was passed in its first reading in the French National Assembly. The proposal aims to establish a digital age of majority at 15 years and received near-unanimous support from Assembly members. The bill now moves to the Senate for further examination before it can be definitively adopted. Here’s what we know about this measure currently under review.

In France, the establishment of a digital age of majority at 15 years has been under discussion since 2018, in alignment with European legislation, which mandates a range between 13 and 16 years. However, it has yet to be enforced. If the bill passes, minors under 15 will need the consent of at least one parental authority holder to access social media platforms. During the National Assembly debates, several arguments were raised to support this parental consent requirement. These included protecting minors from exposure to pornographic content, cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards promoted on social media, and the risk of addiction among younger users. However, parents will not be allowed to grant consent for children under 13, except for platforms offering "genuine educational and cultural benefits," as specified by an amendment.

Lawmakers have proposed a solution to regulate minors' access to social media platforms. They suggest platforms implement a certified technical solution to verify users' ages and confirm parental consent. This tool must be validated by the authorities, and non-compliance could result in fines of up to 1% of the company’s global revenue. Although such technical solutions are not yet fully developed, platforms like TikTok and Snapchat have begun offering tools to help parents monitor their children's online activity. Instagram has also announced plans to deploy facial recognition technology, developed in partnership with Yoti, a company specializing in online age verification. Other methods, such as identity card checks and social proof systems, are also being tested. These measures have primarily been piloted in the United States, but Meta's Communications Director, Andy Stone, has confirmed plans to expand them to other countries.

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