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Freedom251 › Blog › children online

What Parents Can Legally Do to Limit Social Media for Children Under 15 in France

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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France does not currently have a blanket ban on social media for under-15s. The proposed ban in a 2026 law was struck down before promulgation. Under a separate 2023 law, a covered social-network provider operating in France must refuse an under-15’s registration unless a holder of parental authority expressly authorizes it; that holder may also ask the provider to suspend the child’s account. Parents can separately restrict apps and content on devices using parental controls.

Did France ban social media for children under 15?

No. Article 1 of the law promulgated on 24 August 2026, which would have prohibited under-15s from accessing social networks, was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Council on 14 August 2026. The enacted law identifies that article as nonconforming to the Constitution. The remaining provisions do not establish a general parental power to block every social-media service.

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The Council’s decision addressed the breadth and design of the proposed prohibition. It said the measure could cover services whose risks to minors had not been established, did not allow a parent or legal representative to lift or limit the prohibition in the child’s interest, and did not assess the child’s age or maturity, family circumstances, or the nature of the service. The Council concluded that the restriction was not adapted, necessary, and proportionate to its aim. It also noted that the proposal would have required all users, including adults, to prove their age without setting adequate safeguards.

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Other provisions of the 2026 law survived, including provisions concerning phone use in schools. Those provisions do not amount to a national ban on children’s social-media accounts.

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What can a parent or guardian do under the 2023 law?

Article 6-7 of Law no. 2023-566 applies to providers of online social-network services operating in France. For a child under 15, the law creates a provider duty around registration and gives a holder of parental authority a specific way to request suspension. These are not the same as a universal right to veto every online service or every decision about a child’s data.

Withhold authorization for a new account

A covered provider must refuse registration to a minor under 15 unless one holder of parental authority expressly authorizes it. The law also requires providers to seek express authorization for relevant existing accounts as soon as practicable. It requires information for the child and holders of parental authority about risks associated with digital use and ways to prevent them.

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This rule concerns registration with covered social-network providers. It should not be read as a general minimum age rule for every website, app, messaging service, or online account.

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Ask the provider to suspend an existing account

One holder of parental authority may ask a social-network provider to suspend an under-15 child’s account. The law establishes the ability to make that request; it does not ensure that every provider offers the same process or that it is frictionless. Use the provider’s current account-management or reporting route, and describe the request as one for suspension. The statutory wording does not itself promise deletion of the account or its data.

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How do the available options differ?

Option Scope Who acts Effect
Registration authorization A child’s registration with a covered social-network provider operating in France A holder of parental authority and the provider The provider must refuse an under-15’s registration without express authorization
Suspension request The under-15 child’s account with a social-network provider A holder of parental authority makes the request to the provider A statutory request for suspension; the law does not specify a universal, identical platform process
Device parental controls Apps and content on a configured device The person configuring the device Can block age-restricted app downloads and access to restricted content already installed; does not itself create a legal ban
Joint consent for certain data processing Online-service processing based on non-contractual consent The under-15 child and a holder of parental rights Applies to the specified consent-based processing, not to every account-access decision

Can parents block social-media apps on a phone or tablet?

Yes, as a practical household measure. French rules require connected devices sold in France to offer an accessible parental-control system, with activation offered free at first setup. The minimum controls described in the implementing decree can block age-restricted downloads from app stores and access to restricted content that is already installed.

These controls operate at the device level: they can help enforce a family rule on a configured phone or tablet, but they do not suspend an account with the provider or automatically cover a child’s other devices and accounts. The minimum controls must run locally without collecting or processing the child’s personal data on servers. CNIL also advises that parental controls should respect privacy and the child’s autonomy.

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To use them, check the device’s parental-control or family-settings area during setup or in its settings. Available controls vary by device and software, and the official material does not establish a single menu path that applies to every model. Check that restrictions cover both new downloads and access to apps already installed, and consider any other devices the child can use.

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Does a parent have to consent jointly with the child?

For online-service data processing based on non-contractual consent, CNIL guidance says an under-15 child and a holder of parental rights must consent jointly. Its examples include choosing a public profile or enabling optional geolocation. In that specific context, neither the parent nor the child can override the other’s objection.

CNIL says that for this kind of usual parental-authority act, one holder’s express consent can in principle suffice; the other holder is presumed to agree but must have an opportunity to object. This guidance, published in 2021, is about the specified data-processing consent. It is not a universal rule that a parent must jointly approve every account, nor does it replace the separate 2023 registration-authorization and suspension provisions.

What should parents do in practice?

  1. For a new account: decide whether to give express authorization. If you do not, the 2023 law requires a covered provider operating in France to refuse registration for a child under 15.
  2. For an existing account: if you want it suspended, make a request to the provider through its current account-management or reporting process. Do not assume that requesting suspension is the same as requesting deletion.
  3. For access on a device: configure parental controls and check both app downloads and installed content. A device restriction complements, but does not replace, the provider-facing legal options.
  4. For optional data features: when the service relies on non-contractual consent, treat CNIL’s joint-consent guidance as applying to that processing decision, rather than as a blanket account-access rule.

The legal framework described here is the position in France as of 4 October 2026. A provider’s current procedures and the application of parental-authority rules to a particular family situation may require case-specific advice.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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