French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed banning social media for children under 15 in the European Union in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Reuters.
Macron's proposal is aimed at ensuring children's safety in the digital environment. He emphasized the need to reduce the negative impact of social media on teenagers' mental health.
This initiative could become a significant step in the EU's digital policy. Currently, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires parental consent for processing data of children under 16.
Macron's proposal may complement the Digital Services Act, which aims to increase accountability of social platforms.
The French leader's letter comes amid broader discussions in Europe about protecting children from digital threats. Different countries have different approaches, but Macron advocates for unified rules at the EU level.
According to Reuters, the letter has not been published yet, but its contents have become known. The European Commission has not yet given an official response to the proposal.
Macron has previously spoken about the need to restrict children's use of social media. In 2023, he proposed a law in France that would ban access to social media for children under 15.
Now he aims to implement this initiative at the EU level. This proposal could contribute to the formation of common rules in the EU's digital market.