French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that children under the age of 15 should be directly barred from using social media, rather than relying on parental consent mechanisms currently under consideration in many European countries.
Macron made the remarks during a video conference of European leaders titled "Digital Age of Majority for Access to Social Networks", attended by representatives from more than ten countries, including Germany, Ireland, Spain and Cyprus, as well as the European Commission.
He said France had previously tested a parental-consent approach, but found it ineffective and unfair, particularly for vulnerable families who may lack the tools or knowledge to manage children's online activity.
Macron argued that greater responsibility should be placed on social media platforms. He called on companies to provide reliable age-verification systems, including solutions developed within Europe.
"We are participating in the pilot project for a 'mini wallet' age verification system, with the aim of developing it further at the European level," Macron said.
On April 15, the European Commission announced that its age-verification application is technically ready for rollout and will soon be available to the public. However, proposals under discussion among member states suggest the age limit could range from 13 to 16.
