Macron Pushes Fast-Track Ban On Social Media For Under-15s
Macron asked his government to fast-track a law to ban social media for under-15s, aiming for it to take effect in September at the start of the next school year.
CBS NewsFrance's Macron pushes for fast-track ban on social media for kids under 15
CNN‘Our children’s brains are not for sale’: Macron says France to fast-track social media ban for under-15s
Breitbart NewsMacron Calls for Fast-Track Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
ABC NewsFrance's Macron pushes for fast-track ban on social media for children under 15
Associated PressMacron pushes for fast-track ban on social media for children under 15
Overview
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video released late Saturday by BFM-TV that he asked his government to fast-track legislation to ban social media for children under 15 and to have it enter into force in September.
France's health watchdog said in December that 90% of children aged 12 to 17 use smartphones daily and that 58% use them for social networks, findings cited by lawmakers as a rationale for the measure.
Lawmaker Laure Miller, sponsor of the bill, said in a parliamentary television interview that the proposal would require strict age verification while acknowledging there will always be ways to circumvent restrictions.
Australian officials said social networks blocked about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to people under 16 after Australia's December ban, a development officials cited as evidence of possible enforcement steps.
Macron's office told The Associated Press that the bill, sponsored by Laure Miller, will be examined in a public session on Monday as the government seeks Senate passage before September.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources collectively frame the story as a public-health imperative by foregrounding government action and watchdog findings while omitting countervailing expert or civil-liberties perspectives. They prioritize emotive government quotes and data about harms, cite lawsuits and other countries' policies, and thereby create momentum toward legitimizing a social-media ban.