Macron warns: social media becoming a threat to democracy

Paris – French President Emmanuel Macron said social media now pose a risk to democratic processes and governance.

Speaking during a meeting with readers of La Dépêche, streamed on his X (formerly Twitter) page, Macron said:

“Social media are changing how we form public opinion, how elections function, and consequently our democratic life… I intend to pursue concrete solutions to address problems related to social networks,” he said.

Macron added that early in 2026 he plans to implement decisive measures to curb social media influence. Among the measures under consideration are age restrictions for accessing social platforms.

In July, RTL reported that five European countries, including France, will begin testing an app to verify users’ ages online, aiming to limit children’s access to social media and harmful content. Each EU state will be able to adapt the system according to national regulations, such as setting an age threshold of 12, 13, or 15 for online platforms.