French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to introduce a nationwide ban on social media access for children under 15, unless similar measures are adopted across the European Union in the coming months.
The announcement comes in the wake of a tragic incident in eastern France, where a 14-year-old student fatally stabbed a school staff member during a routine bag check at a secondary school in Nogent-sur-Marne. The attacker, who was arrested at the scene, also injured a police officer who attempted to intervene. The same knife was used in both assaults, according to the National Gendarmerie.
Speaking to France 2 television on Tuesday evening, Macron said the stabbing had underlined the urgent need for stronger protections for minors online. “We must ban social media for those under 15,” the president said, adding that he is giving European leaders a short window to agree on a collective approach. “I’m giving us a few months to get the European mobilisation going. Otherwise, we’ll start doing it in France. We can’t wait.”
While Macron did not directly link the stabbing to social media use, he cited growing concerns about the psychological and social impact of online platforms on young people. He emphasized that the internet “must not be a lawless space” and called for enhanced age verification mechanisms and stricter platform accountability.
The president’s comments follow increasing scrutiny over the influence of social media on youth behaviour, mental health, and exposure to violent or harmful content. Local media in France have speculated about a possible connection between the school attack and the student’s online activity, though authorities have yet to confirm any such link.
The proposal to restrict access to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for users under 15 would place France among the most stringent European countries in terms of digital age regulation. Currently, most major platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, though enforcement is limited.
The French government has already taken steps to regulate children’s digital lives. In recent months, it has introduced legislation requiring parental consent for children under 15 to sign up for social media accounts and has begun exploring mandatory digital ID checks to verify age.
Macron said protecting children from digital harms must become a European priority, but stressed that France would not delay action if progress stalls. “It’s a question of our responsibility — to our children, to our schools, and to our society,” he said.
