French TA's murder by student provokes social media age restrictions

 

Macron pledges to ban social media for children

younger than 15

By Ian Stark

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will ban social media for children younger than 15 if it is not implemented at the European level. Photo by Laurent Cipriani/EPA-EFE

June 11 (UPI) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said he plans to ban social media for children younger than 15.

Macron said in a post on X that the move was based on a recommendation from the experts on the Screens Commission, a group of medical, psychological and legal professionals he assembled in 2024.

The group said in April 2024 that in its opinion, for those "from the age of 15, the symbolic age of the digital majority, access to social media should be limited to that with an ethical conception."

"Platforms have the ability to verify age. Let's do it," wrote Macron.

Related

• French assisted-dying legislation on way to becoming law
• Netanyahu accuses Britain, France, Canada of siding with Hamas
• Britain, Canada, France warn Israel of sanctions over renewed fighting in Gaza

The European Union has already been at work on efforts to curb teenagers' online time, but Macron further said France will ban access to social media for kids under 15 independently if it's not achieved on a European level.

Macron said he would implement the ban independently in France if efforts to limit access to social media for young people are not implemented first.

"I'm giving us a few months to get the European mobilization going," Macron said. "Otherwise ... we'll start doing it in France. We can't wait."

Macron's announcement followed the stabbing murder of a teaching assistant outside a French school on Tuesday by a 14-year-old student. 

"It is not acceptable for a child or teenager to have a bladed weapon on the street or at school. We must no longer be able to sell them," Macron also posted Tuesday, "Zero tolerance.

"Macron had publicly stated Tuesday that "a 15-year-old will no longer be able to buy a knife online." It is unclear whether the alleged suspect in the murder had purchased the weapon used in the killing online.

====================================================================================