Macron calls on India to join France in making the internet safer for children

French President Emmanuel Macron, who delivered the keynote address on Day 4 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, called on India to work with France to make the internet and social media a safe space for children.

“Our platforms, governments, and regulators should be working together to make the internet and social media a safe space. This is why, in France, we are embarking on a process to ban social networks for children under 15 years old,” Macron said on Thursday.

France has moved closer to becoming the second country in the world to bar children under 15 from social media, after lawmakers in the National Assembly approved the landmark legislation supported by Macron to curb excessive screen time and protect young people’s mental health on 27 January.

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, urging India to adopt a similar stance. He emphasized the internet and social networks must become a "safe space" where governments and platforms work together.

"I know, Mr Prime Minister, you will join this club, and this is great news that India will join such an approach in order to protect children and teenagers. And we're still ready to take all necessary reactions to ensure that our young citizens are truly safe, and wish to engage with all willing partners to make this vision happen for all," he said.

He noted that other European nations, such as Greece and Spain, are already moving in this direction, signalling a growing global consensus that the “wild west” era of unregulated social media for kids is coming to an end.

The UK is also weighing a similar ban for those under 16. British lawmakers are debating stricter rules that would require platforms to verify users' ages or face heavy fines. If the UK moves forward, it would 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 teens under 16, with the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 coming into effect on 10 December 2025.

Discussions in India

India is home to one of the world’s largest youth populations. While the government has introduced the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, requiring parental consent for social media access for users under 18, enforcement remains a major challenge. With rising cases of cyberbullying and online addiction, pressure is mounting on New Delhi to move from “guidelines” to an outright ban for younger teens.

On Wednesday, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw acknowledged that the conversation around age-based bans is gaining urgency. He noted that many countries now accept that age regulation is necessary.

Vaishnaw confirmed the government is in talks with social media companies to find a way to verify ages effectively without violating user privacy—a clear sign that India is indeed considering joining the “club” Macron mentioned.

“..and right now, we are in conversation regarding deepfakes, regarding age-based restrictions with the various social-media platforms, and what is the right way, what is the right way to go," he said.