France: Signed Law No. 2023-566 aimed at establishing a digital majority and combating online hate establishing age verification requirement

On 7 July 2023, the Bill aimed at establishing a digital majority and combating online hate was signed by the President of France, becoming Law No. 2023-566. The Law applies to online social networking services operating in France, meaning any platform that allows end users to connect and communicate with each other, share content and discover other users and content, across multiple devices, in particular through online conversations, posts, videos, and recommendations. These social networking services are required to verify their users age using a certified tool. If a user is below the age of 15, inscription has to be refused unless the parents' consent is obtained. The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (ARCOM), in consultation with the Data Protection Agency, will certify the age verification tools. Non-compliance may result in a fine up to 1% of the global annual turnover. The entry into force will be established based on a Presidential Decree.