For children, venturing into social networks is, in many ways, entering the den of the wolf. After all, multiple dangers await minors on ubiquitous social networks: challenges of a dangerous (and potentially deadly) nature, bullying and sexual exploitation. For this reason, and to contain the exposure of minors to the risks that come their way on social networks, France seems to be firmly determined to establish an age limit for consuming social networks.

«I want to work with the big platforms on a real digital barrier that guarantees that no child under 13 years of age has access to social networks»says Gabriel Attal, Prime Minister of France, in an interview recently granted to Le Parisian.

Besides, Adolescents between 13 and 15 years old should be able to use social networks only and exclusively with the permission of their parents.Attal emphasizes.

The French Prime Minister is firmly convinced that 2.0 platforms will end up collaborating with the Executive

In the neighboring country, adolescents are legally authorized to open an account on social networks apart from their parents only from the age of 15. And before reaching 15 years of age, they must necessarily have the express consent of their parents to be able to open an account on 2.0 platforms.

Attal, 34, is confident in being able to restrict access to social networks for children under 13 years of age.. “This is a complicated task, but by no means impossible,” says the French prime minister. Setting a real age limit on social media consumption will inevitably require the support of the platforms, which know that their reputation is at stake in this particular matter, says Attal. “They will collaborate,” says the French prime minister.

It so happens that a couple of weeks ago Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, appeared in the United States Senate to testify in relation to the abuses committed in the heat of social networks., involved in sexual crimes and also in cases of suicide. During his appearance in the United States Upper House, Zuckerberg apologized to the parents of victims of social networks after Republican Senator Josh Hawley blamed him for the corrosive impact of these channels on children and adolescents and accused him of having hands stained with blood.