France votes to ban social media for kids under 15—will it actually work ? 🛑

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On the night of January 26-27, 2026, France’s National Assembly passed a law by 116 votes to 23 that bans minors under 15 from accessing social media. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube—all the tech giants become off-limits to young French users starting September 2026.

Why should this matter if you’re reading from Yaoundé or Douala? Because France is setting a global precedent. If this gamble pays off, other countries—including those in Africa—could follow suit.

A response to a mental health crisis 🚨

The numbers are damning: addiction, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression. Several French teenagers have taken their own lives after watching TikTok videos encouraging suicide. Lawmaker Laure Miller, who authored the bill, didn’t mince words: « We need to stop playing Russian roulette with our teenagers’ mental health. »

This isn’t just a French problem. Platform algorithms designed to maximize screen time are turning children into guinea pigs in a global social experiment that nobody fully controls.

What the law actually changes 📋

Starting September 2026, social media access will be banned for minors under 15, except with explicit parental consent. Private messaging apps like WhatsApp are excluded, as are educational platforms.

A list of banned platforms will be established by France’s regulatory authority (Arcom). TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook are clearly in the crosshairs. The penalties? Up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliant platforms.

The age verification nightmare 🔐

How do you verify the age of millions of users? That’s the billion-dollar question. A 12-year-old can easily lie about their birth date. Facial recognition? ID verification? Every solution raises serious privacy concerns.

The timeline: the ban kicks in for new accounts in September 2026, then extends to all existing accounts by January 1, 2027. Platforms have less than a year to figure out workable technical solutions.

Following Australia’s lead 🌏

France becomes the second country in the world to adopt such restrictive legislation, after Australia banned social media for under-16s in late 2025. The Australian result: 4.7 million accounts closed.

But there’s a catch: Australia doesn’t face France’s European constraints. Without having to comply with Brussels regulations, Canberra had more freedom to act. France will have to prove its law respects the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

What about Africa? 🌍

Social media problems are universal. TikTok knows no borders, and its mental health impacts are the same in Yaoundé as in Paris. With an ultra-connected young population, African governments might be tempted to follow France’s example.

But Africa faces specific challenges: limited access to digital literacy education, less developed regulatory infrastructure. If France, with all its resources, struggles to enforce this ban, what about countries with more limited means? The question isn’t whether France’s law concerns you—it’s whether your country has the capacity to implement something similar.

Will it actually work? 🎯

Will this law be effective? Teenagers—whether French or Cameroonian—are masters at circumventing restrictions: VPNs, fake accounts, parents’ phones. A French survey shows 67% of young people find the measure justified, but what about their ability to actually comply?

Another risk: closing the door to mainstream social media could push teens toward lesser-known, less regulated, potentially more dangerous platforms.

A lab experiment worth watching 🔮

France is making an audacious bet that legislative prohibition can protect its children. For readers in Cameroon and across Africa, this is a real-world laboratory to observe: if France succeeds, other countries will follow. If it fails, it will have tested solutions that others can improve upon.

But one thing is certain: protecting young people from digital harms requires far more than a ban. It demands education, platform accountability, and ongoing dialogue between adults and teenagers. Universal challenges, from Paris to Yaoundé.

What do you think of France’s decision? Should your country consider something similar? Should we focus on prohibition or education and empowerment? And how can we protect young Africans from social media harms in our specific context? Share your thoughts in the comments—this debate concerns all of us, from Paris to Yaoundé. 💬🌍