Link: https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260721-french-lawmakers-expected-to-pass-social-media-ban-for-children-under-15

However you look at it age verification is a major change to the internet and our freedoms.

We've seen all kinds of legislation pushed through in the past, often even against major resistance.

What makes me suspicious this time is the speed at which some of the slowest bureaucracies in the world are adopting it and how it's happening in 20+ countries in parallel.

It's like they're all in a group chat, fast-tracking this before resistance can even form.

came here to post this

France first European country to ban social media access for under-15s
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/21/france-ban-social-media-access-under-15s

“For four months, all of us in France will have to prove our age,” she told journalists. “If someone is under 15, the account will be closed.”

Thanks for also sharing this friend! We got to stick together to get through this! Best quote of all 100/100

there's always quadrature but they haven't yet published this one in English ☞
Derrière la vérification d’âge sur les réseaux sociaux, la généralisation du contrôle d’identité en ligne
https://www.laquadrature.net/2026/05/21/derriere-la-verification-dage-sur-les-reseaux-sociaux-la-generalisation-du-controle-didentite-en-ligne/

jolie illustration! <3

it's just an attack on safe spaces for queer kids considering the internet was the first place i ever felt safe and comfortable to be myself.

Of course France would be the first. They're the most known to dthrow revolutions.

Doesnt help the whole world is experiencing a gen z anti authoritarian shift.

Even in India right now they are fighting against their goverment. The whole world needs Israel's spyware to protect them and genocide anyone who stands up to them. They need you to ID your online identity so they can Ai filter our your speech and send you to prison for life.

Makes sense why trump is labeling anyone that dares be critical of him or his policies as a "Cuban terrorist"

Social media is indeed causing many probs.

Destroying privacy on the internet is not the way to fix those.

It’s not some shadowy cabal of malicious people

It literally is.

None of this is about online safety. It's not age verification, it's ID verification.

IIRC a lot of big tech are lobbying for these laws. Raises barrier of entry for competitors, and makes it easier to harvest more accurate data from users.

The cowards way forward.

Force these companies to drop their algorithms and do most recent posts by friends/follows.

French kids about to become revolutionaries all over again by creating online spaces that adults can’t lock down. I’d love it if they brought back IRC and Usenet.

Your crosspost spam is annoying, welcome to my banlist.

There are well-evidenced problems, sure. But what these governments think are the well-evidenced “problems” versus what you think they are, are two very different things.

Safe spaces for queer people existed before social media and before the average politician knew what the internet was.

You’re dreaming. The reason they are doing this is surveillance of the population.

This is so correct. Australia tried the ban and it's done absolutely nothing. Put the restrictions on the ones causing the harm.

They are fast tracking it everywhere because billionaires are paying them too.

Ai filter your speech

Or the just pay agents to make a bunch of fediverse front ends like Tesseract. 😆

Whoops! To soon?

Capitalism baby ;)