France's National Assembly debates banning under-15s from social media

France's National Assembly debated legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media on Monday, ​amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.



The bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and "social networking functionalities" embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors.



It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.



President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat , TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.