Ban social media for under 15s, says French report warning of TikTok dangers

French children under the age of 15 must be banned from social media and there must be a “digital curfew” overnight for a period of 15 and 18 years old, and a parliamentary committee recommended.

The six -month investigation of Tiktok’s psychological effects on minors has found that the short video sharing platform “intentionally reveals our children and our youth to toxic, dangerous and addictive content.”

“We must force Tiktok to rethink its modelThe committee, who heard a testimony from adolescents and the families of young victims, says.

Tijook answered that she categorically refused to “describe the misleading committee of our platform”, which sought to “the scapegoat of our company on social challenges at the level of industry.”

“Tiktok has a strong program for trust and safety with more than 70 features and settings specifically designed to support the safety and welfare of teenagers and families on our platform,” a spokesman said in a statement.

However, the company’s measures have failed to persuade the investigation committee via the French party, which describes Tijk as one of the worst social media platforms – a “production line of distress” for youth. Tiktok argues that he has failed to take sufficient measures to reduce teenagers exposed to a “spiral of harmful content”.

The recommendations of the French parliamentary investigation come hard to follow Australian social media ban for children under the age of 16 Which enters into force on December 10. “Age’s social media platforms” such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube will face Very slope fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” For less than 16 years of accounts.

The French investigation was originally created after a group of families tiktok accused their children to the content that could lead them to take their private lives. I heard a testimony from children as well as parents.

A mother, her daughter, said in 2021: “The content she saw was fatal … He gave priority to the songs that defend suicide as editing.”

Another woman named Martin said that she had seen her 14 -year -old daughter Lilo, and watching videos of people talking about depression and worse.

“She was not subjected to the content that could inspire her to live,” Martin told Frances. “It was covered with videos that suggested death as a solution.”

Of the 43 recommendations for the French investigation team that aims to obtain French children from “Tiktok trap”:

• Ban on social media for less than 15 years
• No use of applications overnight from 22: 00-08: 00 to prevent pass from overnight
• A ban on mobile phones at school
• In the coming years, a crime of digital neglect of parents who fail to protect their children.

The author of the main investigation of Laur Miller explained that the idea of ​​committing a crime for the parents of digital neglect was in fact a mere extension of the current law.

“If a six -year -old child spends seven hours a day in front of Tijook, we can ask ourselves to the question:” Are their safety and morals really protected by their parents? “.

France is among the many European Union countries that drive to reduce children’s use of social media. Denmark is also studying a ban on social media for less than 15 years, and the Spain government has sent a draft law for less than 16 years to demand legal parents to arrive.

UNHCR president Ursula von der Layen said on Wednesday that she was witnessing the implementation of Australian law closely and will assign a committee of experts to submit a report at the end of 2025 on “the best approach to Europe.”

In response to the recommendations of the French investigation, Tiktok said it has already made a 60 -minute limit on the screen for less than 18 years and also less than 16 years to stop its application after 22:00.

Investigative head, Arthur Dilabort, said that he decided to refer allegations that Tijook “intentionally” the lives of its users to the Paris Prosecutor, and it was up to the Prosecutor to take a decision regarding the next step.

Delaporte was also asked to consider the death of French influencer Jean -Burmanov, who was broadcast directly last month on the platform kick.

The National Assembly is considering how to organize the digital sector and the way the content is invested.