French President Emmanuel Macron announced today that he will push for a ban on social media use by children under fifteen, following a fatal stabbing at a school in eastern France. He said he will seek European Union–wide rules to enforce the ban, but if member states cannot agree within months, he will move ahead with a national law.
On June 10, a fourteen‑year‑old student fatally stabbed a thirty‑one‑year‑old teaching assistant, known in some accounts only as Mélanie, outside the Françoise Dolto primary school in Nogent. Authorities had introduced bag checks to curb rising violence, and the victim, a mother of a young child and local council member, suffered the attack during this routine procedure. The student, who had no prior criminal record, was arrested at the scene, and a police officer helping with the bag checks was lightly injured while subduing him.
Macron described the killing as part of a “senseless wave of violence” that left the nation in mourning. He called for tougher measures to protect students. In his speech at the Élysée Palace, he said that social media platforms have exposed young minds to harmful content and unfiltered messages that can fuel anger and fear. He argued that children under fifteen lack the maturity to handle these influences and that the state must step in to shield them.
The president’s plan has two tracks. First, he will work with EU partners to set a uniform minimum age for social media registration. France, Spain, and Greece have already backed a proposal for a “digital age of majority” set at fifteen, while other nations, including Denmark and Slovenia, have expressed support. Spain, however, wants to raise the threshold to sixteen, and some northern countries argue for even higher limits.
Second, Macron made clear that if the EU fails to agree by October, France will introduce its own law under the Sécuriser et Réguler l’Espace Numérique Act. He stated that platforms found in breach could face fines up to one percent of global turnover, echoing penalties in place for sites that host illegal content under existing digital rules.
Under France’s new rules, online services must deploy robust age‑verification systems that respect privacy. The so‑called double‑blind mechanism ensures that platforms never see users’ identities, while verification providers cannot trace which sites a person visits. The system has already been used to block minors from adult content, and Macron wants similar tools applied to social networks. He said that parents will need to give consent for children under fifteen to join any site that allows public posting or messaging.
Not everyone agrees with the proposal. Civil liberties groups warn that strict age checks could encourage digital workarounds or cut children off from vital information sources. They argue that education and guidance, not bans, should empower young people to use social media safely. A spokesperson for a Paris‑based privacy nonprofit said that “teens learn social skills and stay informed online,” and that an outright block might harm their development.
Technology firms have reacted cautiously. Major social networks have invested in filters and time limits for young users, and some already restrict direct messaging for profiles deemed underage. Yet they face technical hurdles in verifying ages across borders. One platform executive told reporters that building a reliable, EU‑wide age check system by October will be extremely challenging.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is preparing its own response. Officials plan to launch a dedicated app in late July that verifies age without revealing exact birth dates. This tool will link to existing EU digital IDs and may serve as a model for member states. However, legal experts note that cultural differences and local laws may slow full adoption.
As France readies its national law, schools and parents brace for change. Education Minister Gabriel Attal said that teachers will receive new guidelines on digital safety, and that support services will expand to help students facing online harassment or radical content. He added that “we owe it to our young people to give them a safer path online,” and that the reforms will include lessons on media literacy from primary grades onward.
With the October deadline looming, the fate of Macron’s proposal now rests on EU consensus. If the bloc agrees, France will fall in line with a unified rulebook. If it does not, Macron has vowed to act alone, setting a precedent that could reshape how governments protect children in the digital age.
