A French parliamentary committee has recommended a nationwide ban on social media access for children under the age of 15, alongside a nighttime digital curfew for teenagers aged 15 to 18.

The proposal follows months of hearings involving families, psychologists, tech executives and social media influencers.

Lawmakers say the move aims to curb the growing mental health crisis linked to prolonged social media use among minors.

Key Proposals include; Total ban on social media platforms for children under 15, Digital curfew for users aged 15–18, restricting access between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 am, mandatory parental consent for young users attempting to register accounts as well as stricter regulations on platform algorithms and content moderation policies.

President Emmanuel Macron’s administration has already signaled support for age-based restrictions, echoing a similar move by Australia, which is developing legislation to bar users under 16.

Committee chair Arthur Delaporte confirmed he would file a criminal complaint against TikTok, alleging the platform endangered young users’ lives.

The investigation stems from a 2024 lawsuit by seven families, which claimed the platform exposed their children to content that promoted suicide and self-harm.

Delaporte criticized TikTok’s algorithm as “addictive and dangerous,” accusing the company of “active complicity” in exposing minors to harmful content.

Despite TikTok’s claims that it uses AI-powered moderation and removed 98% of harmful content last year, lawmakers argue these efforts are inadequate and easily bypassed.

The report included emotional testimony from Geraldine, the mother of an 18-year-old girl who died by suicide in 2024.

She said her daughter had engaged with self-harm content on TikTok before her death.

“TikTok didn’t kill our daughter, she was already struggling, but the platform didn’t help. It deepened her pain,” she said, while accusing the company of poor content moderation.

TikTok representatives defended the app’s moderation policies during the parliamentary hearings.

However, lawmakers cited leaked internal documents and accused TikTok’s regional head Marlene Masure of misleading the committee under oath about the platform’s knowledge of its algorithm’s harmful effects.

If social media companies fail to comply with European safety regulations within three years, the French government may extend the under-15 ban to all users under 18.

The digital curfew for teens would be enforced through app restrictions during late-night hours.

The proposal has sparked debate over digital rights, enforcement feasibility and the role of tech companies in safeguarding minors.

However, supporters insist that stronger oversight is necessary to protect vulnerable users from the dark side of social media.

Prominent U.S conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a live campus event in Utah on Wednesday, sparking widespread shock and condemnation across the American political spectrum.

Authorities confirmed that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the development, saying, “The subject involved in today’s horrific shooting that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. We will provide further updates as available.”

Kirk, 31, was addressing students at a Utah university as part of a speaking tour when he was reportedly shot in the neck.

Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Former U.S President Donald Trump expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling Kirk “legendary” and “a beloved voice for American youth.”

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

“No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me… Charlie, we love you!”

Kirk rose to national prominence as a leading figure of the pro-Trump conservative youth movement.

He founded Turning Point USA at just 18, which quickly grew into one of the largest right-wing student organizations in the country.

Known for his fiery rhetoric and confrontational style, Kirk attracted millions of followers on social media and frequently sparred with political opponents during speaking engagements on college campuses.

Clips from these events often went viral, further cementing his status among young conservatives.

He was an outspoken advocate of Trump’s policies, a vocal critic of immigration and transgender rights, and a staunch promoter of the false claim that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen.

While revered by many on the right, Kirk was also a highly controversial figure.

Author Kyle Spencer, who chronicled the rise of Turning Point USA, described him as “a charismatic Christian nationalist who essentially acted as a spokesperson for Trumpism and extremist ideas.”

Kirk’s organizations also played a key role in mobilizing Trump supporters, including during the controversial events surrounding the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Turning Point Action, one of his offshoot groups, was instrumental in Trump’s 2024 voter mobilization campaign.

Despite not having a college degree, Kirk gained national influence through his podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, and frequent appearances on right-wing media, including Fox News.

His commentary often blended ideology with conspiracy theories, including unfounded claims about migrants, COVID-19, and the 2020 election.

In one widely criticized instance in 2024, Kirk falsely alleged that Haitian migrants in Ohio were eating cats and dogs, a claim later repeated by Trump during a presidential debate, though never substantiated.

When challenged on the truthfulness of his statements, Kirk brushed off criticism, saying, “I say we spread the truth.”

The shooting has drawn condemnation from both Republican and Democratic leaders, many of whom stressed the importance of protecting freedom of speech, even in politically charged environments.

Investigators have not yet released a motive for the shooting, but sources say the suspect acted alone. Security protocols at political and university events are expected to come under renewed scrutiny in the coming days.

Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk and is remembered by supporters as a passionate advocate for conservative values and a bold voice in American political discourse.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has become the world’s richest individual, surpassing Elon Musk, after a dramatic surge in Oracle’s share price boosted his net worth by $101 billion, bringing his total to $393 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Musk now sits at $385 billion.

The shift in rankings came after Oracle’s earnings report on Tuesday revealed strong demand for its cloud infrastructure services, sending the company’s stock soaring 41% on Wednesday, its largest single-day gain since 1992.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz announced that the company had secured four multibillion-dollar contracts in the past quarter and expects to close more in the months ahead.

“We’ll be talking about this one for a long time,” said Ben Reitzes of Melius Research, describing Oracle’s $455 billion AI services backlog as “staggering.”

The company has rapidly become a major player in AI infrastructure, joining the ranks of Microsoft and Nvidia.

In July, Oracle signed a deal to supply 4.5 gigawatts of electricity to OpenAI for its energy-intensive AI operations.

Ellison, Oracle’s largest individual shareholder, directly benefited from the stock rally.

The company’s market capitalization jumped from under $700 billion on Tuesday to near the $1 trillion mark.

Bloomberg described the spike in Ellison’s net worth as the largest single-day gain ever recorded on its Billionaires Index.

This milestone underscores the growing influence of tech companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence.

Nvidia recently became the world’s most valuable company with a valuation exceeding $4 trillion, while Microsoft briefly reached the same level earlier this year.

Elon Musk, who first claimed the top spot in 2021, has previously been overtaken by Bernard Arnault of LVMH and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. Musk’s fortune remains largely tied to Tesla and SpaceX.

Now 81, Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and has expanded his empire to include ownership of 98% of Lana’i Island in Hawaii and the Indian Wells tennis tournament in California.