Macron will promote the prohibition of social networks for children under 15 in France

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced plans to ban social networks to children under 15, after a deadly stabbing in a secondary school that reopened the debate around the psychological effects of social networks in children.

“Prohíbo social networks for children under 15 years. Platforms have the ability to verify age. They do it,” Macron wrote in a social media message on June 10.

Macron’s announcement occurred just after the stabbing, which took place on June 10, when a 14 -year -old student stabbed a 31 -year -old educational assistant, while a routine control of bags was carried out at the entry of the school, in Nogent, France.

The French president condemned “the wave of meaningless violence”, writing In another message: “The nation is mourning and the government mobilizes to reduce crime.”

The Minister of Education of France, Elisabeth Borne, described the alleged author as “a young man of a family in which both parents work and does not present particular difficulties.”

In addition, he said that the rest of the students were very affected, since the teenager was “very integrated in the center”, according to a report from France 24, which also indicated an increase of 15 % in the complaints of white weapons in schools and “a general boom of youth crime”.

The victim was the mother of a small child and worked at the educational center since September.

The European Union adds to the debate: which countries are in favor of prohibiting?

In addition to France, Spain and Greece have also expressed interest in implementing child protection measures of this nature, According to Euronews. However, the European Union indicated Wednesday that it will not seek to implement an age verification at the community scale, despite Macron’s requests so that it was done as soon as possible.

“Let’s make it clear: the general prohibition of social networks is not what the European Commission will carry out. That is not the way we are going to take. Why? Because that is prerogative of the Member States,” affirmed Thomas Regnier, spokesman for the commission.

Macron, however, has said that France “cannot wait” for the EU to reach a solution and that it intends to implement this prohibition anyway, according to A politician article.

In Australia, legislators They caused surprise worldwide when they approved the first law that prohibited children under 16 from accessing social networks in January. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum AGE) ACT 2024, which was urgently processed in the Australian Parliament and approved at the end of November, will enter into force on December 10.

This initiative has aroused so much criticism as support from many sectors – including Catholic groups – that reflect whether this prohibition is adequate and if, in practice, the procedure will be effective.

At the time of the approval of the law, the archbishop of Melbourne, Mons. Peter Comunnsoli, which leads the largest archdiocese in Australia, told CNA – an English assistance of EWTN News – that the church in that country actively works to support parents and help them protect their children online, as well as in front of the potential effects of social networks of social networks and smartphones.

“Sometimes parents share me that it is difficult to protect their children from the damage of social networks, when they feel they are depriving them of something that their peers are using,” said Mons. Commentoli.

The prohibition of social networks in the United States

In the United States, social networks for children are increasing, included in Florida, which last year promulgated a law which prevents children under 14 to join social platforms. Also the state of Texas prepares to implement A similar prohibition for children under 18.

Although Florida’s law was promulgated, it has not yet entered into force, since a federal judge temporarily blocked that the State can apply this regulation while facing legal challenges, according to AP reports.

Last year, a group of 42 general prosecutors sent a letter to the United States General Surgeon to demand a Health warning on social networksciting the possible psychological damage that they can have in children and adolescents.

“As general prosecutors, sometimes we can have discrepancies on some issues, but we all share a deep concern for the safety of children in our communities – and social networks, promoted by algorithms, threaten that security -“, They wrote in the letter of September 9.

Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.