French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he would ban the use of social media for children under the age of 15 in France unless joint action is taken at the European level within a few months.
In an interview with France 2 television, Macron reacted to the murder of a teaching assistant by a 14-year-old student near a high school in France, emphasizing the urgent need to protect minors from the harmful influence of social networks.
“We must ban social media for children under 15,” he said, warning that if there is no European mobilization, France will act unilaterally: “I will give a few months for the European mobilization to begin. Otherwise (…) we will start doing it in France. We cannot wait any longer.”
The President highlighted the risks that social networks pose to the mental health and safety of young people, especially at ages when they are most susceptible to pressure and violent content.
During the interview, Macron also announced new measures to limit minors' access to cold weapons, stating that the purchase of knives online for people under the age of 15 will be banned.
These measures come at a time when France is facing a wide-ranging debate over safety in schools and the impact of technology on young people's behavior.
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