A French parliamentary commission recommends banning social media access for children under 15 and implementing overnight digital curfews for teens, following a six-month inquiry into TikTok’s psychological effects on minors.
The cross-party commission describes TikTok as “a production line of distress” that “knowingly exposes our children, our young people to toxic, dangerous and addictive content,” according to the report released on September 4.
The commission’s 43 recommendations to free French children from what it calls “the TikTok trap” include:
Prohibiting social media access for children under 15
Implementing a digital curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. for users aged 15-18
Banning mobile phones in schools
Recommending the creation of a new offense of “digital negligence” for parents who fail to protect their children
Lead inquiry author Laure Miller frames the proposed parental negligence offense as an extension of existing law, questioning whether parents are protecting children who spend excessive time on platforms like TikTok.
“If a six-year-old child spends seven hours a day in front of TikTok, we can ask ourselves the question: ‘are their safety and morality really protected by their parents?’,” Miller queried in a statement.
Platform Response
TikTok rejects the commission’s characterization of its platform as misleading and accuses it of making the company a scapegoat for “industry-wide and societal challenges.”
“TikTok has an ongoing robust trust and safety program with more than 70 features and settings designed specifically to support the safety and well-being of teens and families on our platform,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The platform reports it has already introduced a 60-minute screen time limit for users under 18 and prompts users under 16 to close the app after 10 p.m.
Legal Implications
Arthur Delaporte, chairman of the inquiry, refers allegations that TikTok deliberately “endangered the lives” of its users to the Paris public prosecutor for potential legal action.
The inquiry follows complaints from families who claim TikTok exposed their children to harmful content. The commission heard testimony from parents whose children died by suicide after viewing content promoting self-harm.
Delaporte has also been tasked with investigating the death of French influencer Jean Pormanove, which was streamed live last month on the platform Kick. The French government is now suing Kick for “negligence” following this incident, with Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, citing violations of France’s 2004 law.
Global Regulatory Trend
France joins several countries implementing stricter social media regulations for minors. Australia recently finalized legislation setting 16 as the minimum age for accessing platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. The Australian law takes effect on December 10, with potential fines of up to AU$49.5 million (~$32 million) for non-compliant platforms.
Denmark is considering a similar ban on social media for users under 15, while Spain has drafted legislation requiring parental authorization for users under 16.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that she is monitoring the implementation of Australia’s laws and will commission expert recommendations on “the best approach for Europe” by the end of 2025.
French officials have called on the regulator to act under the Digital Services Act to address TikTok content promoting potentially harmful practices, including the platform’s “burn lines” tanning trend that has garnered over 200 million views.
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A French parliamentary commission recommends banning social media access for children under 15 and implementing overnight digital curfews for teens, following a six-month inquiry into TikTok’s psychological effects on minors.
The cross-party commission describes TikTok as “a production line of distress” that “knowingly exposes our children, our young people to toxic, dangerous and addictive content,” according to the report released on September 4.
The commission’s 43 recommendations to free French children from what it calls “the TikTok trap” include:
Lead inquiry author Laure Miller frames the proposed parental negligence offense as an extension of existing law, questioning whether parents are protecting children who spend excessive time on platforms like TikTok.
“If a six-year-old child spends seven hours a day in front of TikTok, we can ask ourselves the question: ‘are their safety and morality really protected by their parents?’,” Miller queried in a statement.
Platform Response
TikTok rejects the commission’s characterization of its platform as misleading and accuses it of making the company a scapegoat for “industry-wide and societal challenges.”
“TikTok has an ongoing robust trust and safety program with more than 70 features and settings designed specifically to support the safety and well-being of teens and families on our platform,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The platform reports it has already introduced a 60-minute screen time limit for users under 18 and prompts users under 16 to close the app after 10 p.m.
Legal Implications
Arthur Delaporte, chairman of the inquiry, refers allegations that TikTok deliberately “endangered the lives” of its users to the Paris public prosecutor for potential legal action.
The inquiry follows complaints from families who claim TikTok exposed their children to harmful content. The commission heard testimony from parents whose children died by suicide after viewing content promoting self-harm.
Delaporte has also been tasked with investigating the death of French influencer Jean Pormanove, which was streamed live last month on the platform Kick. The French government is now suing Kick for “negligence” following this incident, with Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, citing violations of France’s 2004 law.
Global Regulatory Trend
France joins several countries implementing stricter social media regulations for minors. Australia recently finalized legislation setting 16 as the minimum age for accessing platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. The Australian law takes effect on December 10, with potential fines of up to AU$49.5 million (~$32 million) for non-compliant platforms.
Denmark is considering a similar ban on social media for users under 15, while Spain has drafted legislation requiring parental authorization for users under 16.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that she is monitoring the implementation of Australia’s laws and will commission expert recommendations on “the best approach for Europe” by the end of 2025.
French officials have called on the regulator to act under the Digital Services Act to address TikTok content promoting potentially harmful practices, including the platform’s “burn lines” tanning trend that has garnered over 200 million views.