France submits revised plan to EU on social media access for under-15s

France has notified the European Commission of revised legal provisions aimed at restricting social media access for those under 15, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, according to French daily Le Figaro.

“Since the first day, I have made a commitment: to protect our children online. We will go all the way,” Macron said on US social media platform X.

The move comes nearly a month after the Constitutional Council rejected the previous legislation, saying its provisions placed too great a restriction on freedom of expression and communication.

The revised plan, prepared with the assistance of the General Secretariat of the Government, seeks to comply with both the council’s concerns and EU rules.

Rather than identifying specific platforms, the government plans to target 10 features considered harmful or potentially addictive to minors, including automatic video playback, nighttime notifications and communication with unknown accounts.

The plan would retain the proposed minimum age of 15 while allowing exceptions for those aged 13 to 15 with their legal guardians' approval.

The government also does not plan to introduce specific new rules on age verification, instead referring to existing EU data protection requirements.

Macron has called for the measure to be extended across the EU.

“This protection must also become the norm for all European children,” he said.

He added that he wanted the EU to “move forward quickly and ambitiously” to harmonize restrictions and regulate platform features.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to address the issue Wednesday in her State of the Union speech.

An independent expert committee appointed by von der Leyen has recommended banning social media use by children under 13, except for limited periods under parental supervision or in educational settings, followed by gradual access beginning at age 13.

The French government is expected to await the Commission’s response before deciding on the next legislative steps.

Macron said France would give its “full support” to EU efforts to strengthen protections for minors online.