National Assembly

After the responsibility of social networks, that of parents and professionals: the deputies adopted measures on Monday March 6 to protect the privacy of children in the digital world, before tackling their overexposure to screens.

The bill on the image rights of minors, carried by the Macronist deputy Bruno Studer (Renaissance), was voted on at first reading unanimously in a consensual climate, far from the virulent debates on pensions. The text, which must now be examined by the Senate, aims to protect children from the excesses of certain parents exposing them without restraint, in particular on social networks.

TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram

The deputies also began in the evening the examination of a second text, carried by another elected representative of the presidential camp, Caroline Janvier, to make adults aware of the risks of excessive exposure of the youngest to screens.

Last Thursday, the Assembly turned to social networking platforms when it voted at first reading on the obligation for TikTok, Snapchat or other Instagrams to verify the age of their users as well as the agreement parental for the registration of children under 15 years old.

These different initiatives “constitute a legal arsenal that will complete the mechanisms for protecting children online”welcomed the Secretary of State for Children, Charlotte Caubel.

No “absolute right”

The text by MP Bruno Studer, adopted on Monday, introduces the notion of ” private life “ of the child in the definition of parental authority in the Civil Code. It specifies that the image rights of minors are exercised jointly by both parents. In case of disagreement, the judge may prohibit one of them from publishing images of the child.

In serious situations, the way is even open “to a forced delegation of parental authority”, allowing a judge to entrust a third party with the exercise of the child’s image rights. This law aims to “empower parents”but also to show minors that “Parents do not have an absolute right over their image”argued Bruno Studer.

According to figures quoted by parliamentarians, a child appears on average “out of 1,300 photographs published online before the age of 13” et “50% of the photographs that are exchanged on child pornography forums were initially published by parents on their social networks”.

Vlogs and the race for likes

Associations denounce excesses, such as those of « vlogs » families (video blogs) run by parents racing for « likes » by exposing their children, some of them seeking advertising revenue, sometimes with degrading stagings.

Some images may lead to ” cyber harassment “ or “compromising their credibility for academic or professional applications” future, underlined the Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti who supported the text “with strength and conviction”.