Age Verification Laws Secria

Age Verification LawsCountries

Age verification in France

Porn sites must check that users are adults, and Arcom, the media regulator, can have them blocked.1 The ban on social media for under-15s was struck down before the law was published, so it never took effect.2

Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources.

France's rules at a glance

RuleCoversStatusDate
Penal code article 227-24 and the SREN law (Law 2024-449)Porn sites in France or outside the EUIn forceArcom standard applies since Jan 20251, 3
The same rules, by ministerial order17 porn sites based in other EU countriesIn forceOrder of 26 Feb 20251, 4
Law 2026-813, article 1Social media, under-15sStruck down14 Aug 20262
Law 2026-813, phones in schoolExtends the school phone ban to lycéesIn forceSchool year 2026 to 20275
 Statuses as of 29 October 2026. This page describes laws and rulings. It is not legal advice.

Porn sites: Arcom's standard

Showing porn to minors has been an offence since 1 March 1994. The SREN law of 21 May 2024 let Arcom block sites itself, under a technical standard it adopted on 9 October 2024 after the data protection authority (CNIL) gave its opinion.3

What a site must offer

A check that tells adults from minors, and at least one option that meets what Arcom calls "double anonymity", a privacy standard that limits what the site learns about you and what the provider of the age proof learns.6 Card checks were allowed only for a transition period.6

What Arcom can do

Send a letter of observations, then a formal notice (15 days to comply in its February 2026 cases), then order the site blocked or removed from search results.4 A block lasts up to two years.1 Breaking the technical standard can also lead to a fine.3

  1. Arcom finds that none of six of the most visited sites checks ages. It asks for one to be blocked and warns the other five.1
  2. All 17 EU-based sites named in the order now check ages, or three of them have left France. Arcom says 12 to 17 year olds spent 35% less time on measured sites between November 2024 and November 2025.4
  3. 35 of the sites most visited by minors check ages, have stopped offering porn in France or were blocked. Arcom moves against 31 more.7

Why the under-15 ban was struck down

Parliament adopted the ban on 21 July 2026, to start on 1 September 2026, with four more months for existing accounts.5 Two groups of deputies challenged it, and the Constitutional Council ruled on 14 August 2026.2

Too broad

The ban covered any online platform where users connect, share and discover each other, whatever its features or risks. The exceptions, such as online encyclopedias and open source platforms, were limited.2

No role for parents, no rules for adults

Parents could not lift or narrow the ban for their child. And because the ban meant every user, adults included, would have to prove their age, the law needed to set conditions and limits for that proof. It set none.2

The Council accepted that protecting children can justify limiting their access. It found this ban not adapted, necessary and proportionate to that aim.2

Questions people ask

Is the France social media ban in effect?

No. Article 1 of the law, which held the ban, was found unconstitutional on 14 August 2026, and Law 2026-813 was published on 25 August 2026 without it.2, 8

What is left of Law 2026-813?

Mainly school rules: the ban on pupils' phones is extended to lycées, with details set by each school's own rules, from the 2026 to 2027 school year.5

Does France require age verification for porn sites?

Yes. Sites must check that users are adults, and Arcom can have sites that do not comply blocked or removed from search results.1, 3

How does the EU fit in?

Arcom also uses the EU's Digital Services Act, and says some of these sites are under European Commission investigation as very large online platforms.7 EU age verification

Sources 8
  1. Pornographie en ligne : de nouvelles étapes franchies pour la protection des mineurs, 6 March 2025, Arcom (French media regulator). Read 29 October 2026.
  2. Décision n° 2026-911 DC du 14 août 2026, Conseil constitutionnel (France). Read 29 October 2026.
  3. Référentiel technique sur la vérification de l'âge, presentation page, 11 October 2024, Arcom. Read 29 October 2026.
  4. Fighting exposure of persons under 18 to pornography: Arcom issues formal notice to two new porn sites, 3 February 2026, Arcom. Read 29 October 2026.
  5. Texte adopté n° 339, final text of the law, 21 July 2026, Assemblée nationale. Read 29 October 2026.
  6. Référentiel technique sur la vérification de l'âge pour la protection des mineurs contre la pornographie en ligne (PDF), Arcom. Read 29 October 2026.
  7. Protection des mineurs en ligne : 31 nouveaux sites pornographiques dans le viseur de l'Arcom, 29 July 2026, Arcom. Read 29 October 2026.
  8. Protéger les mineurs des risques auxquels les expose l'utilisation des réseaux sociaux, legislative file (Loi n° 2026-813 du 24 août 2026), Sénat (France). Read 29 October 2026.

Every fact here comes from the law, the Council's decision or the regulator, checked again and dated. How we check