French lawmakers are racing against the clock to reach a compromise that would allow a bill banning social media for children under 15 to possibly enter into force at the start of the new school year in September.
With Parliament’s summer recess looming, time is running out. Seven members of the National Assembly and seven senators were set to meet Monday in a joint committee to seek an agreement that could be voted later this week. The European Commission has found that the latest version of the bill was not fully compatible with EU law.
French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly backed the ban, which could become one of the final major measures adopted under his leadership before he leaves office next year.
The main point of divergence between the National Assembly and the Senate concerns the scope of the platforms to be banned. The National Assembly voted to prohibit all online social networking services, whereas the senators wanted to establish a blacklist. The ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories, or platforms for the development and sharing of open-source software.
The bill, which also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools, had been devised to be compliant with the EU Digital Services Act. The law imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep internet users safe online.
While sharing the goal of better protecting minors, the EU Commission however found that the proposed legislation overlaps with the EU act and asked French authorities to amend the draft. The Senate argues that the blacklist itself was not challenged by the EU Commission, claiming that only provisions giving too much power to the French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication are problematic.
“Everyone must rise to the importance of the issue at stake, which is nothing less than protecting the physical and mental health of our children,” the Senate said in a statement.
Should an agreement be reached, the bill could go before both chambers for a final vote as early as Tuesday. The law can’t be passed before Aug. 10 because of the notification period required by EU law.
According to France’s health watchdog, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone. In a report published in December, it said that some 90% of children aged between 12 and 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet, with 58% of them using their devices for social networks.
The report highlighted a range of harmful effects stemming from the use of social networks, including reduced self-esteem and increased exposure to content associated with risky behaviors such as self-harm, drug use and suicide. Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this month called for limits to be placed on children using social media. A special EU panel looking into the challenge recommended forbidding access for those under 13 until tech companies can prove their platforms are safe.
Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally. Australia, the U.K., Turkey, Indonesia and others have passed bans on kids under 16 or 15 from using platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Laying out a list of her concerns about the use of social media by kids, Von der Leyen said that children under 3 should have no exposure to screens at all. She noted infinite scrolling as one of the “addictive” traits that tech companies must address.
The European Commission is likely to come up with a proposal for the 27 member countries to weigh in the near future.
