France’s parliament on Tuesday evening approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok.

President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September.

“France is leading the way in Europe when it comes to protecting our children and teenagers,” Macron said in a video posted on social media, hailing “a major step forward”.

He thanked members of parliament for backing the legislation.