France urged by EU to revise under‑15 social‑media ban law

The European Commission issued a formal opinion that France’s draft law banning social‑media access for children under 15 years old is not fully compatible with EU law. The Commission warned that the proposal, in its current form, overlaps with the Digital Services Act and grants excessive powers to the French media regulator ARCOM, risking legal fragmentation across Member States. Thomas Regnier, the EU’s digital spokesperson, said: “We fully share the objective of the French authorities: minors must be better protected online,” but added that the measure must be amended to meet EU rules and cannot be adopted before 10 August because of EU procedures. France had planned to implement the ban at the start of the school year on 1 September, but the EU opinion forces parliamentarians to revisit the text, which was already modified by the Senate into a two‑speed system. The Commission also noted that other EU countries such as Spain and Denmark are examining similar age‑verification or “digital majority” measures, and an expert panel will deliver recommendations on a possible EU‑wide approach by 13 July.