France’s legislative body, the National Assembly, has approved a resolution to establish a new commission that will examine the psychological effects of TikTok on minors. The initiative, spearheaded by Laure Miller, a member of Ensemble pour la République, aims to assess the platform’s impact on children’s and adolescents’ mental health, with a particular focus on issues such as exposure to harmful content and digital addiction.
Launched in 2016 by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has had extraordinary success, reaching a huge global audience of an estimated 1.925 billion users, many of whom are young people. In France, there are nearly 15 million active users each month.
In light of numerous reports of its negative effects – seven French families came together in November 2024 to sue TikTok over its purported failure to remove content featuring themes of suicide, self-harm and eating disorders – France’s National Assembly has supported a resolution to establish a commission that will look into the influence of the platform on children and teens.
The commission, which is expected to operate for up to six months, will investigate whether TikTok encourages self-harm and suicide or contributes to the proliferation of hypersexualized content that could lead to developmental disorders.
See more: Seven French families suing TikTok after teenagers’ deaths
Laure Miller, the MP who proposed the idea for the commission, has emphasised the need for scrutiny, particularly as many TikTok users in France are believed to be under 13, despite the platform’s official age restriction. She has also criticised TikTok’s content moderation policies, calling them “opaque” and “very likely the most ineffective” among social media platforms.
EXPOSURE TO SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE
A study conducted in the United States in 2022 suggested that young users experiencing distress were disproportionately exposed to videos related to self-harm and suicide. This finding has intensified concerns about TikTok’s potential role in amplifying harmful content.
France’s own commission will evaluate the app’s mechanisms that are designed to capture and retain users’ attention, the risks associated with exposure to dangerous material, and the broader implications for digital addiction.
The resolution, which was signed by approximately 80 MPs from various political groups, including Ensemble pour la République, Les Démocrates, Horizons, Socialistes and LIOT, highlights the urgency of addressing these concerns. Lawmakers intend to propose concrete measures aimed at better protecting minors, including stronger content regulation, enhanced digital security and improved moderation practices.
In response to growing scrutiny, TikTok introduced a new parental control feature in the European Union earlier this month, allowing parents to set time limits on their children’s usage. However, the company has remained cautious regarding the commission of inquiry, stating that it will await further details on the specific issues under investigation before responding. A spokesperson for the platform noted that these concerns are not unique to TikTok and affect the broader digital ecosystem.
FOLLOW ON FROM AN EARLIER REPORT
This new inquiry follows a 2023 French Senate investigation that focused on TikTok’s data usage, ties to the Chinese government and potential risks related to espionage and disinformation. While that report emphasised national security concerns, the National Assembly’s current initiative is centered on the health and well-being of the young.
Though different in focus, the 2023 report did make note of the impact on children, stating, “70% of TikTok users in France are under 24, and 40% of young people between 16 and 25 use TikTok daily. Furthermore, children aged four to 18 spend an average of one hour and 47 minutes on TikTok per day.”
Read related:
Monaco’s teens are ditching cigarettes and alcohol but binge on screen time
Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Photo source: Cottonbro Studios, Pexels