Macron Urges EU Ban on Social Media for Under-15s After School Stabbing

French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for a European Union-wide ban on social media access for children under 15, following a fatal stabbing at a school in eastern France.

Macron made the announcement during a televised interview on Tuesday, hours after a 31-year-old school aide was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old student during a bag search in Nogent, Haute-Marne.

He said he hoped to see results from the EU within months.

Credit: Emmanuel Macron

“If that does not work, we will start to do it in France. We cannot wait,” Macron told France 2.

The president said social media was partly to blame for rising violence among young people.

Writing on social media platform X after the interview, Macron said experts support the regulation and urged platforms to act. “Platforms have the ability to verify age. Do it,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told parliament the incident was not isolated.

Macron’s proposal follows a global trend of tightening regulations on children’s access to social media.

Australia introduced a ban on social media use for under-16s last year, setting one of the strictest standards worldwide.

Although most platforms prohibit users under 13, Australia’s online safety regulator found that children often bypass these restrictions.

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• Macron calls for EU-wide social media ban for under-15s

• Announcement follows fatal school stabbing in eastern France

• 14-year-old student questioned over killing of school aide

Source: REUTERS