The legislation is part of a series of recent measures by the French government to reduce the time children spend in front of screens and protect them from cyberbullying and other crimes.
But the exact date on which the age verification law will come into effect remains unclear following Thursday’s approval in the Senate, as no specific date was set and the European Commission still needs to verify that it complies with EU legislation.
Social media and other websites with user registration will have one year to comply with the policy for new subscribers, and an additional two years to implement the requirements for existing users.
Legislators’ concerns ranged from pornography to cyberbullying, as well as unattainable beauty standards and the addictive nature and allure of platforms, which pose a particular risk to young people.
The current legislation, primarily focused on personal data collection, has not succeeded in influencing minors’ access to social media.
Children under 13 years of age cannot access social networks in France
However, according to the National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL), more than half of children between the ages of 10 and 14 use social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.
The new law will explicitly require websites to obtain the approval of parents or guardians for users under the age of 15, using technical solutions that comply with the guidelines set by the French regulator, Arcom.
Social media companies that fail to comply with the law will face a fine of up to 1% of their global revenue.
The law will also allow parents to request the suspension of accounts belonging to their children under the age of 15 and will require websites to provide tools for limiting the time that minors spend on the platform.
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