France Moves Ahead With High School Phone Ban

The French government has confirmed that a ban on mobile phone use in high schools will take effect from the start of the new school year, despite a legal setback to President Emmanuel Macron’s wider plan to restrict children’s access to social media.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on Monday that Macron had decided to enact the legislation containing the phone ban after France’s Constitutional Council rejected a separate measure targeting social media use by children under 15.

“Macron has decided to promulgate the law,” Bregeon told reporters after a cabinet meeting, adding that the decision would allow “the ban on mobile phones in high schools to take effect from the start of the new school year, with a stable, consolidated and statutory legal framework.”

France’s parliament approved the legislation in July, which included both restrictions on social media access for under-15s and a ban on mobile phone use in high schools. However, the Constitutional Council later struck down the social media provision, dealing a setback to Macron, who has made protecting children online a key policy priority.

The court’s decision did not affect the separate measure on mobile phone use in high schools, allowing the government to proceed with its implementation.

France already prohibits mobile phone use by students in primary schools and colleges, which serve children aged 11 to 15. The new measure extends similar restrictions to high schools.

Macron’s office has said the president remains committed to preventing young people from accessing platforms such as TikTok and will pursue a new legislative proposal.

Bregeon said Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu would work on a revised version of the social media legislation, with the president seeking a long-term solution.

“The president’s objective is to have a stable legal framework in place by next spring to protect our children and young people,” she said.

Macron is expected to leave office next spring after completing the maximum two consecutive terms allowed under French law.

France’s move comes as several countries consider tighter controls on children’s access to social media, with growing concerns about the impact of online platforms on young people’s wellbeing.