UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — French Parliament backs social media ban for under-15s in EU first

Q1. France's newly passed Bill — described by its backers as establishing a 'digital majority' — sets the minimum age for independent access to social media platforms at how many completed years?

  • A. 13 years
  • B. 15 years
  • C. 16 years
  • D. 18 years

Q2. Under the French law, the age-verification systems that platforms must use to keep under-15s off social media are required to be approved by which body?

  • A. ARCOM, France's audiovisual and digital communications regulator
  • B. The CNIL, France's data-protection (privacy) regulator
  • C. The Constitutional Council of France
  • D. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB)

Q3. Which country was the world's first to bring into force an enforced ban on social media access for minors, ahead of France's move?

  • A. France
  • B. Australia
  • C. Spain
  • D. The United Kingdom

Q4. With reference to the platforms treated under Australia's under-16 social media ban, consider the following: 1. YouTube — covered by the ban 2. WhatsApp — covered by the ban 3. Reddit — covered by the ban 4. Google Classroom — covered by the ban Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. YouTube — covered by the ban
  2. WhatsApp — covered by the ban
  3. Reddit — covered by the ban
  4. Google Classroom — covered by the ban
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 4

Q5. When France's National Assembly first adopted the under-15 social media Bill after a late-night session, by what margin of votes did it pass?

  • A. 130 votes to 21
  • B. 130 votes to 12
  • C. 120 votes to 31
  • D. 21 votes to 130

Q6. Which one of the following statements about the passage of France's under-15 social media Bill through Parliament is correct?

  • A. Presidential assent is unnecessary because Parliament's vote is final and binding on all platforms.
  • B. The Senate alone enacted the Bill, without any involvement of the National Assembly.
  • C. A reconciliation committee of Parliament agreed the Bill's final text a day before both chambers voted in favour.
  • D. The Bill takes effect immediately, with no possibility of any judicial review.

Q7. Consider the following statements comparing France's ban with Australia's: 1. France's ban targets under-15s, whereas Australia's covers under-16s. 2. France plans to enforce its ban from September 2026, whereas Australia's ban took effect in December 2025. 3. In France, age-verification systems must be approved by the Constitutional Council, whereas Australia relies on its privacy regulator for the same. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. France's ban targets under-15s, whereas Australia's covers under-16s.
  2. France plans to enforce its ban from September 2026, whereas Australia's ban took effect in December 2025.
  3. In France, age-verification systems must be approved by the Constitutional Council, whereas Australia relies on its privacy regulator for the same.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Which of the following is the principal mechanism on which the French law relies to keep under-15s off social media platforms?

  • A. Parental consent forms collected and filed by schools
  • B. Age-verification systems approved by the country's privacy regulator
  • C. Voluntary self-certification of age by the platforms themselves
  • D. School-issued digital identity cards for every enrolled student

Q9. France's under-15 social media ban is best characterised as the flagship reform championed by which of the following?

  • A. President Emmanuel Macron, as a flagship reform of his final term
  • B. Junior AI Minister Anne Le Hénanff, as her personal legislative initiative
  • C. The France Unbowed party, as a plank of its left-wing programme
  • D. Germany's Family Minister Karin Prien, coordinating an EU-wide push

Q10. In the context of France's law, the term 'digital majority' (majorité numérique), invoked by the junior minister, most precisely refers to which of the following?

  • A. A requirement that a majority of any platform's registered users must be adults
  • B. A rule mandating that all digital platforms operating in France be majority state-owned
  • C. The unanimous parliamentary majority needed to regulate any online platform
  • D. The minimum age at which a minor may access social media without parental consent

Q11. Consider the following statements about the international spread of child social-media restrictions: 1. Germany's Family Minister Karin Prien announced an intent to introduce a ban, and Greece has already enforced one nationwide. 2. Australia's ban applies to under-16s, whereas France's applies to under-15s. 3. Spain's government has proposed a social media ban for children under 16. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Germany's Family Minister Karin Prien announced an intent to introduce a ban, and Greece has already enforced one nationwide.
  2. Australia's ban applies to under-16s, whereas France's applies to under-15s.
  3. Spain's government has proposed a social media ban for children under 16.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. The CNIL, which is to approve the age-verification systems under the French law, is best described as which of the following?

  • A. France's audiovisual and digital communications regulator, created by a merger of two bodies in 2022
  • B. France's independent data-protection authority, established by the Data Protection Act of 1978
  • C. France's constitutional body that reviews enacted and pending laws for conformity with the Constitution
  • D. The European Union's central board that coordinates the national data-protection regulators