Education

Bill to Protect Young People from the Risks of Screen Exposure and Social Media Harms, and Guide Them Toward Responsible Digital Use

🇫🇷France··Other·High Impact·View source ↗

AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.

🇬🇧 English

This French legislative proposal, dated December 19, 2025, introduces a comprehensive set of measures aimed at shielding minors from the physical and psychological risks associated with excessive screen time and social media use. The bill addresses a growing public health concern by combining regulatory restrictions with educational and awareness-raising initiatives targeting both professionals and the general public. A central measure of the bill is the effective enforcement of a ban on mobile phones in schools, reinforcing existing rules that have seen inconsistent application. The proposal also establishes a minimum age requirement for accessing social media platforms, creating a legal threshold that platforms will be required to enforce. The bill mandates dedicated training programs for healthcare and education professionals so they can better identify, counsel, and support young people experiencing screen-related issues. Complementary public awareness campaigns are also foreseen to reach parents, educators, and children themselves. Overall, this proposal reflects France's continued legislative push to regulate children's digital environments following earlier laws on smartphone bans in schools and age verification for online platforms.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.

Key Changes

  • Effective enforcement of existing mobile phone bans in schools, closing loopholes in previous legislation
  • Introduction of a mandatory minimum age threshold for accessing social media platforms (exact age to be specified in final text)
  • Mandatory training programs for healthcare professionals to identify and treat screen-related health issues in minors

+ 3 more changes with Pro

Obligations

What this law requires

high

Enforce and effectively implement the ban on mobile phones in schools

Schools and educational institutions
operational
high

Establish and enforce a minimum age requirement for social media platform access

Social media platforms and online service providers
prohibition
high

Implement age verification mechanisms to prevent minors below the legal threshold from accessing social media platforms

Social media platforms and online service providers
operational
medium

Develop and deliver dedicated training programs for healthcare professionals on identifying, counseling, and supporting young people experiencing screen-related issues

Healthcare sector and training authorities
operational
medium

Develop and deliver dedicated training programs for education professionals on identifying, counseling, and supporting young people experiencing screen-related issues

Educational institutions and teacher training authorities
operational

Affected Parties

Minors and children under the minimum age threshold for social mediaSocial media platforms and app stores operating in France+5 more…

Tags

screen time,social media age restriction,mobile phone ban schools