Digital majority: adoption of the law setting the age at 15
The bill on digital majority at age 15 was adopted on 2 March by the National Assembly. This law on digital majority aims to regulate the registration of minors on social networks and strengthen their online protection.
Parental consent for minors under 15 years of age – digital age of majority framework
This Digital Majority Act will require platforms to implement a age verification system of its users and to obtain a parental consent for the minors under the age of 15 who wish to register on a social network. In the event of non-compliance, platforms will be liable to severe penalties, including fines of up to 11% of their turnover.
Following the adoption of this law, Justine Atlan, Director General of the e-Enfance Association, was interviewed on France News.
Digital majority: the opinion of the e-Enfance Association
When asked about means of verifying the age of an internet user, she replies:
«Today, the issue of age verification is becoming essential [...] there are several solutions available, such as biometrics which allows you to estimate a person's age from a photo, verification of the identity card or trusted third-party verification systems where we only ask for the user's date of birth. A number of systems are being tested, and obviously they must be secure, easy to use, with a limited data storage and no identification so that people will have confidence.»
On the issue of young people who will attempt to circumvent these new measures related to digital majority, she replies:
«No system is foolproof, but starting from scratch, even if these measures are only 50% reliable, it will still be an improvement on the current situation. There will always be some teenagers who are smarter than others and try to «cheat the system»... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. protect the majority.»
Suspension of account at the parents' request
The text of the law on digital majority also wants to leave the opportunity for parents to request the suspension of the account of a child under the age of 15. She adds:
«What is desirable is to enabling parents to «be parents to their children» on social media. They are now frustrated and angry with these platforms and feel that they have taken their children hostage. […] Parents must decide, based on their parenting style, whether or not they agree with their teenagers being on social media.»
To find out more about regulations on social networks
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