• After the National Assembly, the Senate adopted Tuesday in first reading, with modifications, the obligation for social networks like TikTok or Snapchat to verify the age of their users and the agreement of parents for the registration of children under 15 years.
  • On Wednesday, Vivek Murthy, the chief medical officer of the United States, said in a report that social networks could have "extremely harmful effects" on the mental health of children and adolescents. He calls on tech giants to act.
  • 20 Minutes returns to the vote of the Senate while the government has initiated an accelerated procedure on this text and deputies and senators will now try to agree on a common version.

Concern about the frenetic use of social networks by young people continues to grow. While the chief medical officer of the United States launched an appeal Tuesday, considering that these platforms can have "extremely harmful effects" on the mental health of young people, the subject found itself in the Senate in France. The upper house has passed a mandatory parental agreement for children under 15.

A decision that comes as the first registration to a social network would occur on average around 8 and a half years and that more than a quarter of 7-10 year olds regularly go on social networks, according to the National Commission for Informatics and Liberties (CNIL). But what is it? How to set it up? 20 Minutes has looked into the subject for you.

What does the bill contain?

This bill is carried by the boss of the deputies Horizons Laurent Marcangeli. It introduces the obligation for social networks "to set up a technical solution to verify the age of end users and the consent of holders of parental authority" for children under 15. This "solution" will have to be certified by the authorities.

This age corresponds to the entry into high school and the age at which a minor can consent alone to the processing of his personal data, recalls the rapporteur Alexandra Borchio Fontimp (LR). The text also allows holders of parental authority to request the suspension of the account of a child under 15 years of age.

What changes have been introduced by the Senate?

The bill was first studied by the National Assembly, which made some amendments. In turn of the senators, the latter also applied their wishes such as the clarification that the authorization of a single holder of parental authority will be necessary, at the initiative of the rapporteur Alexandra Borchio Fontimp. MEPs voted for a socialist amendment requiring networks to activate a device to control the time of use when registering a minor.

The provision relating to "labelled" networks to which children under 13 could have had access with the consent of parents, introduced in the Assembly despite the government's unfavourable opinion, has been deleted. In contrast, the Senate explicitly excluded from the scope of the bill "non-profit online encyclopedias," such as Wikipedia, and "educational and scientific directories."

What's next?

The government having initiated the accelerated procedure on this text, deputies and senators will now try to agree on a common version. If this bill is adopted, social networks will have to set up these tools to protect minors on their applications. In case of breach, a fine may be imposed on the company, up to 1% of its worldwide turnover. For the rapporteur, Alexandra Borchio Fontimp, this text "is an essential safeguard against the growing precocity of digital puberty and the power of the tools available to young people".

It "is part of a general and international awareness of the danger that social networks can represent, especially for the youngest," said centrist Annick Billon. This initiative comes at a time when concern about children's safety on social networks is constantly increasing. According to an Ipsos survey published in early 2022, four out of ten parents have already used software to spy on their child. Studies show that the use of social networks by minors can promote the appearance of depressive symptoms and eating disorders.

  • Social Media
  • Tech
  • By the Web
  • Senate
  • TikTok
  • Snapchat