French Report Recommends Social Media Ban For Under 15s After Damning Investigation Into TikTok
A French parliamentary inquiry has delivered a damning verdict on TikTok, calling it a “production line of distress” and accusing the platform of knowingly endangering the mental health of young users. After six months of hearings and over 30,000 public responses, MPs concluded that TikTok’s algorithms push harmful content—particularly about self-harm and suicide—to vulnerable teens, with one lawmaker saying it acts like a “slow poison.” The committee has recommended banning social media for children under 15, setting a “digital curfew” for older teens, and even introducing a new legal offence of "digital negligence" for parents who fail to protect their kids online.
Committee co-chair Arthur Delaporte has referred TikTok to the Paris public prosecutor, referencing “criminal offences” and accusing company executives of “perjury” during testimony. The report also criticises the platform’s content moderation as "insufficient" and blasts its lack of transparency, noting that TikTok “has long been aware of” the dangers but has taken “insufficient action.” TikTok, owned by ByteDance, rejected the findings, claiming the inquiry “attempts to scapegoat our company” and insisting it offers over 70 features to protect young users. However, grieving parents told MPs that those measures failed their children.
Other recommendations include banning phones in schools and requiring social media platforms to randomise content recommendations to avoid algorithmic harm. Lead inquiry author Laure Miller said the goal isn’t to give up on regulation but to protect kids now while broader EU reforms are in progress. “If we ever have ethical social networks,” she said, “we can lift the ban.” Whether these proposals become law remains uncertain, but the political consensus around protecting youth online could push them forward.
