France is the most radical country against technology among children. And now it plans something extreme: prohibit social networks

“We must ban social networks to children under 15 years.” This blunt was the French president, Emmanuel Macron, speaking before the TV cameras. The measure It would be a pioneer In Europe, which studies initiatives in this regard, but there is a problem: France’s regulatory role is having negative consequences For companies and users.

What happened. The statements of the Gallic president occurred after the Tuesday tragedy In a French school: a 14 -year -old boy stabbed and killed a member of the teaching staff. As they point out In EuronewsIt is not clear if this attack is associated with something that the teenager had seen on social networks.

No knives. Macron intends to prohibit social networks to children under 15 “in the coming months” if there is no progress in a similar regulation at the European level. The tragedy in Nogent’s greate Indian that “a 15 -year -old can no longer buy a knife on the Internet. That means we are going to impose massive financial prohibitions and sanctions.”

And either of social networks. But the highlight was that intention to ban social networks, something that even announced in X said intentionIn addition to stating that platforms have the possibility of verifying age to be able to implement this type of control and prohibition. Actually the message is not new: said exactly the same thing more than a year agobut the recent events and European inaction have re -promoted those intentions of Macron.

They are already doing it with porn. On June 7, the law that forces pornographic platforms to verify age of users. The objective, prevent minors can access this type of content.

But it is not going well. As a consequence of these measures, services such as Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn have decided to leave the Gallic country and stop serving there. According to those responsible, this regulation is inefficient and potentially violates users’ privacy. Also propose a solution Device dependent and in which Google and Apple would have to make some modifications to their operating systems.

The struggle of minors and screens. France was a pioneer in 2018 when prohibited mobile phones in schools for students under 15 years. Other countries They followed the wake, but the country continues to alert the dangers of the screens for the minors. In fact, a process was recently initiated to try prohibit the use of any screen (Mobile, but also TVS or computers) to children under six years. According to French experts In pediatrics or child psychiatry, not doing so exposes them to permanent damage to brain development.

Spain, in the line of France. In our country the future law of the minor advocates Prohibit registration on social networks of children under 16 yearsclimbing the current limit two years. There are also measures to limit access to technology according to age, and for example from zero to three years the use of children should be prohibited from children, while from three to six years it is advisable except exceptions and under the supervision of an adult.

The Spanish “pajorto”. The Government of Spain also launched a year ago The implementation of the Beta Digital Portfolio, popularly known as “Pajorte”. It is a mobile app that will theoretically serve to perform age verification and thus avoid or mitigate access to pornographic content by minors. Its implementation is limited, although the platforms that are already implementing it have detected A colossal fall of its traffic.

Europe begins to move card. As they point out In politicianthe European Union has raised a proposal led by Greece and France and Spain as great support. In it the objective is to establish a new regulation to significantly limit the use of social networks by minors. According to the project, minors could lose direct access to networks Like Tiktok or Instagram and would need parental permission to visit these platforms. Denmark, which will occupy the presidency of the EU in the next six months, is in favor of these measures

Image | Anthony Choren | Mary Borozdina

In Xataka | There were two paths to regulate technology in children: the government has chosen the one with zero screens