France, no to social networks before the age of 15: the proposed law to protect the very young

Social network prohibited until completion of 15 years: this the law proposal that theNational Assembly of the French Republic approved at first reading almost atunanimity (82 votes against 2). If the text will pass the final screening becoming lawplatforms will need to verify theage of the users who sign up and the effective parental consent in case of registration by minors under the age of 15. There will be too sanctions in case of default.

This “digital coming of age” established to protect the very young is nothing new for France: it was introduced in 2018 in application of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which left the possibility of fixing it between the ages of 13 and 16, he recalls Federprivacy. However, this threshold has not received a real application and has had no significant impact on the access of minors to the various digital platforms on the web.

Therefore, to put a stop to a situation that is now getting out of hand, the obligation for all social networks to “implement a technical solution to verify the age of end users and the consent of holders of parental authority” for children under the age of 15. Everything will have to be certified by the authorities, and in the event of non-compliance, the company may even be forced to pay a fine of up to 1% of its worldwide turnover.

According to the data of CNIL, the French Data Protection Authorityalso reported by Horizons group centrist MP as well as leader of the initiative Laurent Marcangeliyoung people register for the first time on social media a eight and a half years of age and on the various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter) there are more than half of the boys between 10 and 14 years old. There are many risks run during navigation, of which parents are often not aware. The debate remains open and it is hoped that other states will also decide to follow the French example.