France bans social media for under-15s: When it starts, who it affects, how it will work

Sufi Motiwala reveals his secrets on Lock Upp Sach Ya Sazaa (Photo: Netflix India Reality / Instagram) Social media influencer Sufi Motiwala recently got evicted from Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa. While on the show, Sufi often discussed the traumas he has faced in the past, and even broke down several times. One particular incident that affected Sufi the most was when Shilpa Shinde and Shreya Kalra banged on his bathroom door after an argument. Recalling that incident when he got evicted, Sufi revealed the trauma associated with that and shared how his roommate and PG owner tried to sexually abuse him when he was in college. Following a task where Harshad challenged Sufi to get back in the game, the fashion influencer got evicted. As he bid farewell, he got emotional and said, “I know all of you think that I didn’t try, and I am a very sensitive person in life. I am not the bi*ch that I am online; I still tried my best to make friends, but most of you didn’t register it. I genuinely enjoyed my time with each one of you.” Sufi also revealed all his secrets before he exited the show.Also Read: ‘I felt so trapped’: Content creator Sufi Motiwala on living with Dream-Reality Confusion #SufiMotiwala‘s emotional goodbye had everyone in tears 😢 #LockUpp #LockUpp2 pic.twitter.com/9rpKwCBA4p — 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐞 (@The_Drama_Dose) July 26, 2026 Sufi Motiwala reveals his 3 secrets on Lock Upp Sach Ya Sazaa As Sufi left the show, he owned his truth and revealed, “My first truth is that all my life I always craved love, stability, and security. The first two times I was able to make a male friend who made me feel secure and stable, I fell in love with them and lost them. Which is why I have such emptiness of love in my heart.” “My second secret is that the biggest regret in my life is when I was in Delhi studying in college; my grandmother died. Two days before she passed away, she called me, and I didn’t answer; she died. My family didn’t let me attend her funeral. Besides that, she left me Rs 50000, from which I bought a new phone and started my content creation journey; because of that, I am here today,” Sufi revealed. Sharing his third secret, the influencer said, “When I was in college, my roommate used to sit in front of my bed and watch me. One day he forced himself onto me; he kissed me, and I pushed him away. I ran down to my PG owner and reported it to him. When I complained, he said, ‘Why sleep with him when you can sleep with me instead?’ which is why I had to lock myself in the bathroom that day. I was locked up there for 12 hours straight, and it traumatized me.” Sufi Motiwala’s eviction Soon after his eviction, Sufi returned to social media talking about his journey on Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa. He wrote, “I HAVE OFFICIALLY COME OUT OF IMAGINARY JAIL THAT IS LOCK UP ON NETFLIX. All views, remarks, and opinions given on this show were by me, but I would love it if you were to believe and pretend that what you saw was a hallucination, a dream, because, not going to lie, I was stressed, nerved, and distraught, also hungry, but girl it was all me. Jokes aside, I had such an iconic time. Thank you, Netflix and Balaji, for giving me this opportunity. I’m eternally grateful to be a part of something so magnanimous and iconic. My heartfelt apology to anyone I might’ve unintentionally disappointed, hurt, or upset. Unless I did mean to hurt you, in which case I’m not sorry. It was a core memory for sure. Guinness World Record for crying in every episode on a reality show secured.” Sufi also caught up with Riyaz Aly, Sunita Ahuja, and Sreshta Iyer soon after his eviction. DISCLAIMER: This article discusses sensitive personal experiences, including emotional distress, trauma, and unverified allegations of harassment/abuse shared in an entertainment context. The views and claims mentioned have not been independently verified and are presented solely for informational purposes. If you o

New DelhiJul 24, 2026 11:23 PM IST Wildfires advance near Le Proge region, western France. (Source: AP)Nearly 30,000 people have been evacuated from parts of France and Spain as devastating wildfires, because of the heatwave sweeping southern Europe, continue to spread quickly, according to The Guardian. Researchers have warned that soaring temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds are creating dangerous conditions, leading to wildfires. Emergency services are now struggling to contain multiple blazes. The crisis comes as a severe marine heatwave grips the Mediterranean Sea. Climate researchers warned that “Dantesque” wildfire scenarios cannot be ruled out if extreme weather persists. A marine heatwave is declared when sea surface temperatures reach abnormally high levels.France has requested assistance from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to tackle a major wildfire near its Atlantic coast, where the blaze has forced the evacuation of more than 18,800 people, including thousands of tourists staying at campsites and holiday homes. French President Emmanuel Macron said the situation remained “extremely tense”, particularly in the Gironde region of southwestern France. He announced that Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia would send firefighting aircraft and helicopters to support French authorities. People watch massive plumes of smoke caused by wildfires in Le Porge, western France. (Source: AP)The wildfire, which began in a dense pine forest near Saumos, about 40 km west of Bordeaux, has already scorched more than 3,700 hectares in just over a day. While no fatalities have been reported, several homes have been destroyed. More than 800 firefighters, backed by water bombing aircraft, are battling the blaze. However, officials said the fire remains unstable and continues to threaten nearby residential areas. Spain emergency Spain has declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and the neighbouring province of Ávila after several wildfires burned out of control.Story continues below this ad Around 10000 people have been evacuated, with the country’s military emergency unit deployed to assist firefighting operations, The Guardian reports. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government had mobilised all available resources to combat fires affecting Ávila, León, Toledo, Madrid and several other regions, urging residents to remain vigilant and follow evacuation orders. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), nearly 125,000 hectares have burned in Spain so far this year, compared with 393,000 hectares during the whole of last year. A wall of flames advances as a wildfire burns near Burgohondo, in Ávila province, Spain. (Source: AP)Spain has experienced high temperatures, with Cieza in the Murcia region recording 44.7°C on Thursday. Several cities, including Albacete, Ávila and Teruel, also registered their hottest July temperatures on record earlier this week.Story continues below this ad Meanwhile, around 80% of the Mediterranean Sea is experiencing a marine heatwave, with sea surface temperatures in some areas reaching nearly 5°C above the 1991-2020 average. European wildfire data shows this year’s fire season is already among the worst on record for this time of year. France has recorded its largest area burned, while both France and Spain have registered record numbers of wildfires. Climate change France has endured three major heatwaves since May, with scientists linking increasingly frequent and intense heat events to climate change. Authorities warned that hot, dry conditions and strong winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts, raising fears that the blazes could intensify further in the coming days.Story continues below this ad The Gironde region witnessed a similar disaster in 2022, when wildfires burned more than 30,000 hectares and forced around 50,000 people to flee. Officials say the latest blaze, driven by tinder-dry forests and power

Updated: Jul 22, 2026 08:51 AM IST France is banning social media for children under 15.France will soon become the first country in the European Union to ban children under 15 from using social media platforms. The French Parliament has approved a legislation to effect the same. President Emmanuel Macron, who is serving his final term said he wants the new rules to come into force by September. In December last year, Australia became the first country to require major platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 or face significant financial penalties.After the proposal was passed by the Parliament, Macron posted on X: “I had committed to it, and now it’s been voted on: social media will be banned for those under 15 starting back-to-school. Thanks to the parliamentarians. It’s up to the Constitutional Council to rule, then on to action to make this measure concrete and protect our children online.” Je m’y étais engagé, c’est désormais voté : les réseaux sociaux seront interdits aux moins de 15 ans à la rentrée. Merci aux parlementaires. Au Conseil constitutionnel de statuer puis place à l’action pour rendre cette mesure concrète et protéger nos enfants en ligne. pic.twitter.com/jC79unxX67 — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 21, 2026 The proposal received final approval after the Senate cleared it earlier in the day, followed by a vote in the National Assembly, where it passed by 279 votes to 81, reported The Guardian. Is the ban immediate? While the law has been cleared by the French Parliament, the legislation will be implemented in phases. Children under 15 will not be allowed to create new social media accounts from September 1. Existing accounts belonging to users aged 15 and below will be blocked from January 2027. Before the vote, Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said on X: “After several months of demanding work with deputies and senators, we are bringing to fruition a long-awaited reform, driven by a simple conviction: better protect our children online.” She further said the timeline was achievable because age verification technology is already available and more tools are being developed, The Guardian reported. She said the responsibility for enforcing the rules would rest with social media platforms. Le Parlement a définitivement adopté la loi sur la majorité numérique. À compter du 1er septembre prochain, avec une mise en œuvre progressive jusqu’au 1er janvier 2027, les réseaux sociaux seront interdits aux moins de 15 ans. Après plusieurs mois de travail exigeant avec les… — Anne Le Hénanff (@ALehenanff) July 21, 2026 She also said that everyone in France would be required to verify their age during the first four months of implementation. According to the proposed system, accounts belonging to users under 15 would be closed. The minister also assured that personal data collected during age verification would remain protected. Social media done, mobile phones in line too While the new law is primarily to ban social media for children, it also has a clause to ban mobile phones in high schools. The French government wants to implement the social media ban by September so that the use of mobile phones in high schools can be curbed by the start of the new academic year, reported Reuters.Story continues below this ad France’s public health authority said last year that platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram could negatively affect teens, especially girls. It, however, noted at the same time that social media alone could not be blamed for worsening mental health of youngsters. Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said children should be introduced to social media through a gradual and phased approach. The Commission has also developed an age verification application that several EU countries, including France, have been testing in recent months. The Express Global Desk at indianexpress.com which delivers authoritative,