Protecting minors on social media: Monaco faces digital challenges
The French National Assembly has passed a first reading of a bill banning social media for children under 15 © Johnny Cohen - Unsplash
As France moves towards banning social media for children under 15, the debate on the impact of digital technology could soon reach the Principality.
On Monday 26 January, the French National Assembly adopted, at first reading, a bill prohibiting access to social media for minors under the age of 15. Sponsored by MP Laure Miller, this text follows on from the work of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the psychological effects of TikTok on young people.
The report recommends, in particular, better supervision of platforms, stricter age verification and regulation of content creators’ income. Supported by Emmanuel Macron, the measure would come into force at the start of the 2026 school year for new accounts, with widespread age verification from 1 January 2027. Platforms that fail to comply would face penalties of up to 6% of their global turnover.
Minors overexposed to inappropriate content
Protecting young people in the digital world is a major challenge. Interviewed by TVMonaco for a report, one expert pointed out the flaws in the current system: “Age verification is not done properly. Social media is reserved for those over 13, but we know very well that many children under 13 are on it, some spending a lot of time there. Sometimes they even spend money. They are exposed to content that is clearly not appropriate for them, either from an emotional maturity perspective or because the content is sexual in nature.”
The issue of social media regulation also concerns Monaco, where digital use is very prevalent among young people. According to an ESPAD survey conducted in 2024, nearly 64% of Monegasque high school students spend between two and five hours a day on social media. Since the start of the 2025 school year, Monaco has already banned smartphones from Year 6 to high school to combat addiction and cyberbullying.
Systematic age verification, a single reporting portal, strict supervision of influencers… among the 78 measures in the French report, ten are expected to come into force soon. These are all proposals that Monaco could adapt to its own scale, with the support of its regulators and European cooperation.