The law would block access for under 15-year-olds to networks such as Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok. President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants the ban in place by the start of the school year in September. The French move is part of a worldwide trend towards restricting social networks for children, triggered by growing evidence of the damage they can cause to mental health. "We cannot leave the mental and emotional health of our children in the hands of people whose sole purpose is to make money out of them," Macron said last month. Under the new text, the state media regulator would draw up a list of social media networks that are deemed harmful. These would be simply banned for under 15-year-olds.

A separate list of supposedly less harmful sites would be accessible, but only with explicit parental approval. The bill is believed to have a good chance of passing, with pro-Macron parties likely to be joined by the centre-right Republicans (LR) as well as the populist right-wing National Rally (RN). Another clause would ban the use of mobile telephones in senior schools (lycées). The ban is already in effect in junior and middle schools. If the law is passed, France will need to agree on the mechanism for for age-verification. A system is already in place that requires over 18 year-olds to prove their age when accessing online pornography. In Europe, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland are also considering following the Australian example. Earlier this month, the UK government launched a consultation on banning social media for under 16s. (BBC)