Delivering the keynote address on Day 4 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron urged India to work with France to make the internet and social media a safe space for children.
“Our platforms, governments and regulators should work together to make the internet and social media a safe space. This is why we are starting the process of banning social networks for children under 15 in France,” Macron said on Thursday.
France moved closer to becoming the second country in the world to ban children under 15 from accessing social media after lawmakers in the National Assembly approved landmark Macron-backed legislation on January 27 to curb excessive screen time and protect young people’s mental health.
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The bill will now go to the Senate, France’s upper house, before becoming law.
During his speech, Macron directly addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged India to take a similar stance. He emphasized that the Internet and social networks must become a “safe space” where governments and platforms work together.
“I know, Prime Minister, that you will join this club, and it is great news that India will join this approach to protect children and teenagers. And we remain ready to take all necessary responses to ensure that our young citizens are truly safe, and we wish to work with all willing partners to make this vision a reality for all,” he said.
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He noted that other European nations such as Greece and Spain are already moving in this direction, signaling a growing global consensus that the era of unregulated “wild west” social media for children is coming to an end.
The UK is also considering a similar ban for under-16s. British lawmakers are debating tougher rules that would require platforms to verify the age of users or face hefty fines. If the UK moves forward, it will leave the US as one of the few major western markets without a national age limit for social media.
Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s on 10 December 2025 with the effect of the Online Safety (Minimum Age for Social Media) Act 2024.
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Discussion in India
India is home to one of the largest youth populations in the world. While the government introduced the Digital Privacy Act, which requires parental consent for users under 18 to access social media, enforcement remains a major problem. With cases of cyberbullying and online addiction on the rise, pressure is mounting on Delhi to move from “guidelines” to a total ban for younger teens.
On Wednesday, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw acknowledged that the conversation on age-based bans is gaining urgency. He noted that many countries now recognize that age regulation is necessary.
Vaishnaw confirmed that the government is in talks with social media companies to find a way to effectively verify age without infringing on users’ privacy – a clear sign that India is indeed considering joining the “club” referred to by Macron.
“…and right now we’re talking about deepfakes, age restrictions with different social media platforms and what’s the right way, what’s the right way,” he said.