Arcom, through a survey of 2,000 teenagers and parents, highlights the intensive digital uses of young people and the associated risks, and sets priorities for the coming months in terms of age verification and adapting platforms to young users.
As Martin Ajdari, President of Arcom – the French communications regulator – reminded us today, « protecting young audiences is one of Arcom’s historic missions, one that has undergone major changes with the irruption of platforms and digital technology into our lives, and particularly into the lives of minors. » Pursuing this mission as part of its relatively new platform regulation responsibilities stemming from the Digital Services Act, Arcom published a survey. With this in-depth, year-long survey of 2,000 teenagers aged 11 to 17 and 2,000 parents, supplemented by interviews and qualitative analyses, the regulator’s aim was to gain a better understanding of minors’ digital practices, the risks to which they are exposed, and to assess the effectiveness of existing protection measures.
Early and intense use
The study shows, as we observe in our daily lives, that the use of platforms by teenagers is almost universal: over 80% of young people in France use them on a daily basis. What’s more, almost half admit to accessing social networks before the age of 13, often bypassing age restrictions. The study analyzes young people’s exposure to various risks, divided by Arcom into six main categories: hyperconnection, offensive or inappropriate content, dangerous challenges, cyberbullying, interactions with malicious adults and scams. More than eight out of ten minors say they have already encountered at least one of these risks, and three quarters claim to have been exposed to offensive content.
No passivity
However, the study highlights an important point: French teenagers are far from passive in the face of these dangers. Many say they are aware of the risks associated with their use, and are developing strategies to protect themselves. Many don’t hesitate to talk about it with an adult, often one of their parents. They know, for example, how to identify suspicious behavior, ignore certain content or change platforms. Most also know how to use blocking and reporting functions. Some adapt their browsing to avoid problematic situations, even if these solutions remain partial and sometimes ineffective.
Arcom’s priorities
As its president explained, Arcom’s aim with this study is not just to take a snapshot of the situation, but also to « guide the work of public authorities« . In light of the study, Arcom has therefore set two major priorities for 2025-2026 to strengthen the protection of minors online. The first concerns effective compliance with the minimum age of 13 set by platforms. The Authority is asking social networks to implement genuinely effective measures to prevent early registration and limit circumvention, for example by blocking the re-creation of accounts. The second priority is to require the major platforms to offer services specifically adapted to children and teenagers. This involves protective default settings, limiting addictive features (such as infinite scrolling) and increased vigilance against malicious interaction or exposure to inappropriate content. Aware that young people themselves are expressing a need for protection, Arcom intends to mobilize all its levers: consultation with platforms, testing campaigns and the creation of a panel of young people to assess the relevance of the measures put in place.