France initiates nationwide online assessment, aimed at assessing psychological effects among youth from TikTok usage
Want a say in the social media affair du jour? Jump on in! France's parliament launched a nation-wide online consultation on Wednesday, April 24, 2025, to gather your opinions on TikTok and its potential psychological effects on young users. Sounds juicy, right?
Kickstart Your Opinion Engine!
This online survey, open until May 31, will have you answering questions on topics like whether you struggle to resist scrolling on TikTok, or if you believe content moderation on various platforms is sufficient. If you're a French adult or teen, or the parent of a teen dancing their way through ByteDance's digital playground, your voice counts here!
Why the Fuss About TikTok, You Ask?
Well, that's just it. With around 40 percent of French users aged 11 to 17 tapping away daily on TikTok, concerns about mental health and addiction are front and center. Laure Miller, an MP from President Macron's party, Renaissance, sees this consultation as a golden opportunity to contribute to the ongoing commission investigation of TikTok's audience, impact, and moderation[1].
The commission, launched in March, has already been chatting with researchers, journalists, youth advocacy groups, government members, and TikTok content creators, with representatives from the platform expected to be heard in the coming months. By September at the latest, the commission is required to publish its conclusions[1].
Remember those families who took legal action against TikTok in November 2024, claiming harmful and addictive content that allegedly led to suicides among young users? Well, they apparently aren't alone, as four additional families joined the lawsuit last month, according to French media[2].
All this comes as the European Union examines TikTok's handling of harmful content, such as the "SkinnyTok" trend associated with eating disorders. With data privacy and surveillance concerns, the platform has faced bans and restrictions from EU institutions[3]. However, a recent French court ruling has put a stop to an indefinite TikTok ban in New Caledonia, insisting that any restrictions must last a specific duration[4].
Intrigued? Get your paws on this online consultation and share your two cents on TikTok, mental health, and social media!
- As France's parliament investigates the potential impact of TikTok on young users' mental health, the online consultation is inviting opinions from French adults, teens, and parents of teens regarding content moderation and scrolling habits on the social media platform.
- The ongoing commission investigation, which includes discussions with researchers, journalists, youth advocacy groups, government members, and TikTok content creators, aims to address concerns about the platform's audience, impact, and moderation in its report due by September 2025.
- The commission's examination follows a spate of legal actions taken against TikTok by families claiming their children faced harmful and addictive content, which allegedly led to suicides among young users.
- The European Union is also scrutinizing TikTok's handling of harmful content, such as the "SkinnyTok" trend associated with eating disorders, while questioning its data privacy and surveillance practices.
- Amidst these concerns and legal disputes, a French court ruling has overturned an indefinite TikTok ban in New Caledonia, insisting that any restrictions imposed on the platform should have a specific duration.
