7/23/2026
Yesterday I heard an NPR story titled "French Lawmakers Approve a Sweeping Social Media Ban for Children Under 15."
Based on my reading of the news, the French lawmakers approved three major measures:
Children under 15 will generally be prohibited from creating social media accounts.
Social media platforms will be required to implement age-verification systems.
Existing accounts belonging to children under 15 will be removed or reverified as the law is phased in.
The legislation was prompted by growing concerns over the effects of social media on young people, including rising anxiety and depression among adolescents, cyberbullying, exposure to harmful or addictive algorithm-driven content, sleep disruption, and increased risks of self-harm and suicide.
As President Emmanuel Macron has argued, children need greater protection in the digital environment.
Interestingly, France's new law appears to be more restrictive than China's current regulations on minors' use of social media.
China has adopted a phased approach to regulating minors' internet use. In 2021, it introduced strict limits on online gaming for children, a policy that attracted worldwide attention.
In August 2023, China proposed the "Minor Mode" (未成年人模式, Wèi Chéngniánrén Móshì), a broader framework requiring smartphones and apps to provide a dedicated mode for minors. The proposal included age-based screen-time limits and other parental control features.
On January 1, 2024, the Regulation on the Protection of Minors in Cyberspace《未成年人网络保护条例》(Wèi Chéngniánrén Wǎngluò Bǎohù Tiáolì) came into effect. It became China's first comprehensive national regulation governing the online protection of minors.
Later that year, China issued detailed technical guidelines for implementing Minor Mode across smartphones, app stores, and applications, making the system more standardized.
What strikes me most is the thinking behind these laws, regardless of whether they come from the East or the West.
First, lawmakers are increasingly treating excessive social media use as a public health issue, much like tobacco, drunk driving, or gambling.
Second, despite their different political systems and cultures, governments share a common concern for the well-being of children and the future of their societies.
Third, while social media companies such as Meta design features like infinite scrolling and autoplay videos to keep users engaged, governments are stepping in to place limits on how these platforms can reach and influence children. See my writing on this.
Perhaps this is the most interesting takeaway. When it comes to protecting children from the potential harms of social media, governments around the world may have different methods, but they are increasingly recognizing the same problem.
Governments around the world are increasingly recognizing the same challenge, even if they choose different ways to address it. If governments believe the problem is serious enough to require legislation, perhaps it is also time for parents to ask what more they can do to help their children in this digital age.
A reader’s comment, “少年强则国强，儿童是国家的未来，政府都知道的道理。”
From a reader, “ Well summarized and well argued. Government regulations are definitely needed to protect the vulnerability of children from harmful effects of social media. Even for adults, social media is a double-edged sword that provides quick access to information as well as polarizing opinions and spreading false narratives.”