France: Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication released report following study on online risks for minors

On 25 September 2025, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) released the results of its study on online risks for minors. The study was conducted over twelve months and involved 2’000 minors aged 11 to 17, 2’000 parents, 28 in-depth interviews with young people, preparatory hearings with eight platforms and four experts, and a semiological analysis of platform design and terms of service. It found that more than four out of five minors use at least one very large online platform every day. The average age of first social network use is 12 years, and 44% of children access these services before the age of 13 by misrepresenting their age. The study reported that 83% of minors are regularly exposed to at least one of six risks, including hyperconnection, harmful or shocking content, dangerous challenges, cyberbullying, malicious adult contact, and online scams, with hyperconnection and exposure to shocking content being the most frequent. It also highlighted that 45% of young people consider current protective tools insufficient. Arcom identified two regulatory priorities, which are enforcing the minimum age of 13 years for access to platforms and requiring the deployment of services adapted specifically for minors.