The government intends to take a significant step in regulating young people's digital use. A bill, expected in Parliament in early 2026, plans to ban access to social media for minors under 15 years of age starting September 1, 2026. The government justifies this measure by citing the increasing number of scientific warnings about the effects of screen time on teenagers.
Arcom is responsible for enforcing the ban
The text directly targets online platforms, which would be prohibited from offering their services to those under 15. The monitoring and enforcement role would be entrusted to Arcom, within the existing legal framework for digital regulation. The government emphasizes the risks associated with early and prolonged exposure, citing in particular cyberbullying, access to inappropriate content, and sleep disorders.
The plan goes further by extending the ban on cell phone use to high schools, a ban already in place in elementary and middle schools since 2018. This initiative is part of a series of recent legislative attempts, hampered until now by European constraints. The government maintains, however, that the proposed measure is compatible with EU law, while several parallel texts on the protection of minors from screens are also scheduled for debate in the coming weeks.
