ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned over the growing influence of major social media platforms on young people, saying Europe must urgently tighten regulation to protect teenagers and safeguard democratic standards.

Speaking at the European Digital Sovereignty Summit in Berlin on Tuesday, Macron said European teenagers now spend “four to five hours per day” on social networks, where the content they encounter is shaped by opaque algorithms controlled by a handful of global tech companies.

He said this concentrated power exposes young people to “hyper-bullying, pornography, mental-health issues and other harmful content,” adding that governments have effectively handed over responsibility for children’s digital safety to foreign platforms.

“Let’s be clear: these platforms design the content your children consume,” Macron said.

“We have de facto given them exclusivity over our teenagers’ digital lives," he added.

He argued that the problem goes beyond child safety and touches the core of Europe’s democratic resilience. When algorithms influence public debate without transparency or accountability, he said, it cannot be considered genuine free expression.

“For me, we don’t speak about free speech when the algorithm is hidden and in the hands of very few players, and when they don’t implement the laws decided by the citizens of the country,” Macron said.

“This is a Wild West, not free speech," he further added.

He urged EU member states to advance measures that tighten oversight on platform algorithms, enforce existing laws more vigorously, and introduce stronger safeguards for minors.

Protecting children and teenagers online, he said, is essential for mental health, education systems and the long-term stability of democratic societies.

“If we want digital sovereignty, we must protect our children, our teenagers and our democratic space,” he said.