Another country is about to ban kids from using social media, and this time, it could affect gaming too

France is getting ready to ban social media for children under 15 years old. The country plans to block access to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The French government will reportedly submit a draft law in early January 2026, and if it passes, the ban would start in September 2026.

According to Gamerant, French President Emmanuel Macron has been worried about social media’s impact on young people for a while now. In 2023, he blamed social media and video games for encouraging violence after riots broke out following the police shooting of a 17-year-old teenager. Now, France is following Australia’s lead, which passed a similar ban in 2024 for users under 16.

The new law would make these platforms completely off-limits for anyone under 15. France already requires parental permission for kids under 15 to create social media accounts, so this ban would build on that existing rule. The government also plans to extend phone restrictions to high schools. Since 2018, phones have been banned in primary and middle schools, and this new law would add high schools to that list.

This ban could create big problems for gaming platforms

The big question now is how this ban might affect video games and gaming platforms. Many games today have social features built into them, making it hard to separate gaming from social media. Platforms like Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and especially Roblox could potentially fall under this ban, though nothing is confirmed yet.

Roblox is already banned in at least nine countries due to child safety concerns and other issues. If France decides to include gaming platforms in their social media ban, it could set a new trend for other countries to follow. However, Australia’s ban didn’t include gaming services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, so France might do the same.

The situation gets complicated because modern gaming and social media overlap so much. Many popular games let players chat, share content, and connect with others online. Research shows that parents’ phone decisions significantly impact children, making these restrictions even more important. It’s not clear yet where French lawmakers will draw the line between pure social media and gaming with social features.

President Macron has shown support for video games in the past. He recently praised the French game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, calling it a great example of French creativity and boldness. 

This suggests he might treat gaming differently from social media, but nothing is certain. The debate around restricting young users’ access continues to grow, especially as companies face backlash for limiting employee expression on social platforms.

The French government hasn’t officially announced the details yet, and it’s still unclear how they would enforce such a ban. If the reports are accurate, we should see the official draft legislation soon, which will make everything clearer about what platforms would be affected and how it would work.