Czech approves school phone ban, France agrees to under-15 social media ban on same day | Europe's youth screen bans accelerate
TL;DR
The Czech government on July 20 approved a bill banning phones and smartwatches in all primary and lower-secondary schools, covering the full 9-year compulsory education, all-day. Effective September 1, 2027. The same day, a joint committee of France's parliament agreed on a bill banning under-15s from social media; Macron wants it in force before September 2026. The Netherlands has had a similar national ban since 2024.
The Czech government on July 20 approved a bill to ban phones and smartwatches in all primary and lower-secondary schools, covering the entire 9-year compulsory education population — classes, breaks, lunch and after-school care. The bill was approved by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's cabinet; once passed by both chambers of parliament, it takes effect on September 1, 2027.
The same day, a joint committee of France's National Assembly and Senate reached agreement on a bill banning under-15s from social media. President Macron said he wants it in force before the September 2026 new school year — if France runs the express lane, it will become the first EU country to have explicit legislation banning under-15s from social media.
Both tracks share one legislative motivation — "zombie kids and frustrated parents." The Czech government cited improving classroom focus and curbing cyberbullying; France's Assembly argument points straight at Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat's effects on adolescent psychology and behavior. The Netherlands is Europe's first to fully implement — a nationwide school ban on phones, tablets and smartwatches since 2024.
Exceptions are narrow — kids continuously monitoring blood glucose for diabetes and students with special educational needs can keep devices. The narrowness is deliberate — to head off constitutional challenges from parent groups, the same kind that hit the Netherlands' 2024 law.
Europe's youth screen ban cadence has moved from Netherlands going solo in 2024, to Czech + France advancing on the same day in 2026 — Europe's legislative framework for "adolescent digital environment" is upgrading from self-regulation guidance to mandatory law.
The US and China are watching — Australia passed a 16-and-under social media ban in 2025. The global "youth vs screens" policy pendulum is swinging toward bans in the same year, worldwide.
via Xinhua / Reuters / Beijing Daily
The same day, a joint committee of France's National Assembly and Senate reached agreement on a bill banning under-15s from social media. President Macron said he wants it in force before the September 2026 new school year — if France runs the express lane, it will become the first EU country to have explicit legislation banning under-15s from social media.
Both tracks share one legislative motivation — "zombie kids and frustrated parents." The Czech government cited improving classroom focus and curbing cyberbullying; France's Assembly argument points straight at Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat's effects on adolescent psychology and behavior. The Netherlands is Europe's first to fully implement — a nationwide school ban on phones, tablets and smartwatches since 2024.
Exceptions are narrow — kids continuously monitoring blood glucose for diabetes and students with special educational needs can keep devices. The narrowness is deliberate — to head off constitutional challenges from parent groups, the same kind that hit the Netherlands' 2024 law.
Europe's youth screen ban cadence has moved from Netherlands going solo in 2024, to Czech + France advancing on the same day in 2026 — Europe's legislative framework for "adolescent digital environment" is upgrading from self-regulation guidance to mandatory law.
The US and China are watching — Australia passed a 16-and-under social media ban in 2025. The global "youth vs screens" policy pendulum is swinging toward bans in the same year, worldwide.
via Xinhua / Reuters / Beijing Daily