Meta Trial and Under-15 Social Media Ban: Protecting Kids

As the landmark Meta trial opens in Oakland, California, and France becomes the first European country to ban social media for under-15s, policymakers in Belgium are grappling with a fundamental question: how do we protect children online without isolating them from the digital social connections that define their generation?

The debate comes at a critical juncture. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faces a coalition of US state attorneys general in federal court, accused of deliberately designing its platforms to be addictive for minors. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, France has adopted a pioneering law banning social media for under-15s, and the European Commission is preparing its own proposal for after the summer.

The Meta Trial: A Landmark Case

The trial, which opened on August 12 at the federal court in Oakland, represents a watershed moment in the fight against social media addiction among young people. The prosecutors general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading the case on behalf of about thirty states that launched lawsuits in 2023, seeking up to $1.4 trillion in penalties and major modifications to Instagram and Facebook for minors, as reported by Boursorama.

“This really looks like the tobacco industry of the 1990s,” said Vincent Joralemon, a legal expert at UC Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, comparing the case to the landmark litigation that forced cigarette companies to pay record settlements and restrict advertising to minors. Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, and as Joralemon noted, “bringing a CEO to the stand can be very damning.”

Meta has already been condemned twice this year—once following a complaint from a teenager in Los Angeles, and once by the state of New Mexico. The company was ordered to pay $6 million in damages, jointly with YouTube, to a teenage plaintiff in March, and nearly $1 billion in fines and reparations in New Mexico, as detailed by L’Humanite.

The trial’s outcome could force Meta to fundamentally redesign its products for young users. Nora Freeman Engstrom, a law professor at Stanford University, said the challenge will be to measure “the gap between what Meta knew about its products and what it said publicly about them.” The stakes are enormous: Euronews notes that the case could reshape how social media platforms operate worldwide.

France Takes the Lead in Europe

While the US legal battle unfolds, France has moved decisively. On July 21, the French Parliament definitively adopted a law banning social media for under-15s—a first in Europe. The law passed with 279 votes against 81 and enters into force on September 1, 2026, for new accounts, and January 1, 2027, for existing accounts, as reported by RTBF.

“We French will all have to prove our age for four months. If you’re under fifteen, the account will be closed,” explained Anne Le Henanff, French Minister for Digital Affairs.

The French law is part of a broader global movement. Australia was first to ban social media for under-16s in December 2025, followed by the UK, Canada, Greece, and Norway announcing similar measures. But the French approach is particularly significant for Belgium, which shares cultural and linguistic ties with its neighbor.

The Belgian Debate: No Consensus Yet

In Belgium, there is no consensus yet on the issue. Federal Digital Minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) wants to go further than EU recommendations by banning social media before age 15, with verification via tools like “It’s me” or “MyGov.” “When you define an age, the most important thing is to actually verify that age,” she insisted, as quoted by RTBF.

Matz has been critical of the EU expert group’s recommendations, which she says lack ambition when it comes to setting an age for social media access. However, she welcomes the proposed age-based graduation approach and the emphasis on parental support and media education.

Jacqueline Galant, Minister of Media in the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles (MR), has also expressed support for banning social media for under-15s. “There was an initiative from France and I want to support it because I think we need a common position for Belgium so we can then defend this position at the European level,” she said, as reported by RTBF. “It’s really not a punishment for young people, it’s really a protection of our children.”

The EU’s Role: A Proposal After Summer

The European Commission is preparing its own proposal on protecting minors online. On July 13, a group of European experts submitted recommendations including banning all screens for under-3s, banning social media access for under-13s at EU level, and allowing 13-18 year olds access only to platforms with effective age verification and demonstrated safety by design.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced measures after the summer to restrict minors’ access to social media. “It’s parents who raise their children, not predatory systems,” she stated. “Childhood is an extraordinary and delicate period for brain development. And during this phase, children need to spend time in the real world, to play, make friends, make mistakes, build their personalities, before an algorithm does it for them.”

The Australian Test Case: Is Banning Working?

Australia’s experience offers a cautionary tale. Six months after the country’s ban on social media for under-16s, more than 85% of children still use restricted platforms, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. About 7 out of 10 children kept their accounts, per the eSafety Commissioner, as reported by RTBF.

However, researchers argue that the ban should be evaluated over a longer timeframe, similar to generational tobacco legislation. The goal is not to stop current teenagers but to prevent future generations from ever starting. Full effects may not be visible for a decade.

Education Over Prohibition: The Expert View

Maurice Johnson Kanyonga, a psychologist specializing in children and adolescents, argues that outright prohibition may not be the most effective solution. “When you want to ban, first you send the message that these platforms represent a danger for young people,” he told RTBF. “We must provide young people with the tools for good use of technology.”

Kanyonga, who also spoke to Moustique, is blunt about the limits of prohibition: “Banning is certainly not educating.” He warns that bans could drive young people into more clandestine online spaces, creating more vulnerability. “Less accompaniment means more secrecy, and more vulnerability,” he said.

The psychologist emphasizes that adolescents are at an age where peer opinion matters enormously, and social media can have positive effects—communication, learning, and support networks. The key, he argues, is maintaining dialogue with children and providing them with the tools to navigate the digital world safely.

What’s Next for Belgium

The Belgian government is currently discussing a text on limiting social media for minors and ending malicious anonymity online. The country’s federal structure complicates the debate: digital regulation is a federal competence, while media education falls under the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles.

As the Meta trial unfolds in the US and France’s ban takes effect in September, Belgium faces a pivotal decision. The question is no longer whether to act, but how—and whether prohibition alone can protect children without cutting them off from the digital world they inhabit.

For now, all eyes are on the European Commission’s proposal, expected after the summer, which could provide the framework Belgium needs to find a balanced approach to one of the defining challenges of the digital age.