In France, legislation banning social media use for those under 15—enforced through age verification by service providers—was passed by both the Senate and the National Assembly. The French government had planned to prohibit the creation of new accounts for users under 15 starting in September and to close existing accounts beginning next January. However, on August 14, France’s Constitutional Council ruled the law unconstitutional, stating that it “disproportionately infringes upon freedom of expression and communication.” Debates regarding age limits for social media are unfolding internationally. Underlying these discussions in various countries is the difficult challenge of balancing the need to protect children from online risks with the preservation of freedom of expression and communication.
There is an international framework known as the “OECD Recommendation on Children in the Digital Environment.” This recommendation outlines the concept of “Age Appropriate Child Safety by Design.” It reflects the “Child Safety by Design” principle found in “General Comment No. 25” of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Australia is set to implement a law banning social media use for those under 16, effective December 2025. This move served as a catalyst for expanding the debate on age limits across various nations. The Australian system aims to delay the age at which individuals begin using social media.
Meanwhile, what is the situation in Japan? The “Act on the Establishment of an Enhanced Internet Environment for Youth” was enacted in 2008 and came into force in 2009. Under this law, decisions regarding children’s (youth’s) internet usage are essentially left to parents. However, this approach is premised on the availability of filtering mechanisms to block illegal or harmful information (content risks). At one time, age-based restrictions were also an option. Yet, the current landscape—characterized by advanced smartphone capabilities, high rates of device ownership among children, widespread Wi-Fi connectivity, and AI-driven communication—was not fully anticipated when the law was drafted.
There are other issues facing the digital society as well. The issues involved—such as cyberbullying and defamation (conduct risk), being deceived by information (consumer risk), and connecting with malicious users (contact risk)—go far beyond mere problems associated with social media usage.
Furthermore, violations of rights that occur in the real world are also taking place online. A recent landmark case involved a 35-year-old former teacher from Nagoya who was prosecuted for possessing AI-generated “sexual deepfake” images of child pornography. The images, which purported to show two young girls naked, had been created using an AI-based image editing website; the Nagoya District Court sentenced the man to three years and six months in prison. This represents a case of an adult violating the rights of actual children. These images were shared among enthusiasts. The core of the problem lies in adults infringing upon children’s rights.
Discussions regarding regulation tend to be oversimplified. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the issue of online communities appearing more appealing than the real world—drawing children in and making them lose faith in actual society.
There is also a lack of care and support for children whose rights have been violated. We must also discuss where such children can find a safe place to belong.

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI