President Emmanuel Macron visited Snapchat’s Paris offices Monday, alongside Snap Inc. Co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel, as the Choose France summit opened with the aim of attracting foreign investment.
The visit comes as Macron seeks to regulate social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, for users under the age of 15. In June 2025, Macron publicly stated his intention to ban social media access for this age group, a move that presents significant practical and legal challenges, according to reporting from RMC BFM TV.
While the specifics of the discussions between Macron and Spiegel were not immediately released, the meeting signals a continued focus on the role of digital platforms in French society. France Inter reported in March 2017, well before the current debate, on the rise of Snapchat and its potential impact, noting the company’s then-record valuation despite operating at a loss.
The French President’s engagement with Snapchat follows what France Inter described as a “vocal presidential” approach to digital policy, and raises the possibility of a “Snapchat diplomacy” as the government navigates the complex landscape of social media regulation. Bertrand Chameroy, commenting on France Inter, highlighted this shift in approach.
Snapchat, with 160 million users globally as of 2017, is particularly popular among the 15-24 age demographic. The platform’s ephemeral content – photos and videos that disappear after ten seconds – offers a unique form of communication, but also presents challenges for content moderation and user safety, issues central to Macron’s proposed regulations.
The Choose France summit, where the meeting took place, is designed to showcase France as an attractive destination for foreign investment. Snapchat’s presence in Paris and the discussions with Macron underscore the importance of the tech sector to the French economy, even as the government seeks to impose stricter rules on its operations.
