The French Parliament has passed a new law requiring children under 15 to obtain parental consent before opening accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
The law, passed with overwhelming support, mandates that tech platforms verify user ages and block underage accounts without proper authorization. Parents will have the right to monitor and suspend accounts at will.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the law aims to protect minors from online bullying, mental health risks, and data misuse. “We cannot let algorithms raise our children,” he said during a press briefing.
Digital rights groups in India and Nepal welcomed the move, stating that South Asia should also adopt stronger age regulations as smartphone use among children grows rapidly.
