France is given “Three months” For “Mobilize its European partners” on one “European Agreement” Restraction of social networks to verify the age of adolescents using them, failing which the government will take sanctions, said the Minister Delegate in charge of Digital, Clara Chappaz, in La Tribune on Sunday. “Social networks, before 15 years, is no”insists the minister delegate in charge of digital in an interview with the weekly.
In June 2024, Emmanuel Macron spoke about the prohibition of the phone before the age of 11 and social networks before 15 years, after having received, two months earlier, expert work on the impact of the exhibition of young people to screens.
“On a European scale, we have (…) A frame of reference action: the regulations on digital services [Digital Services Act] »»continues the minister delegate in charge of digital, Clara Chappaz. “But you have to go further to strengthen its scope, so that it forces social networks not to accept the creation of accounts without age verification”she adds.
The minister is “Give three months to mobilize our European partners around a simple line: age verification as imperative”. “My job is today to rally a coalition, with Spain, Greece and now Ireland, to convince the European Commission”she adds. She warns: “If we cannot reach the start of the school year, France will take responsibility. In the absence of European agreement, it is in France that we will have to act ”.
Potential sanctions
To the question of whether the government could go so far as to take sanctions, it answers: “Yes, as proof, look at what we have done on the pornographic sites. “Since the beginning of March, Arch [le gendarme français du numérique] started to block sites that do not comply with French legislation. They must verify that Internet users are over 18 years old ”said Clara Chappaz.
“If they [les plateformes] do not set up solid age verification solutions, they are sanctioned. Tomorrow, I want it to be the same for users of social networks under 15 years of age ”.
Spain presented in June 2024 a law prohibiting the access of under 16s to social networks.