France’s top court rejects under-15 social media ban
The Constitutional Council said the legislation would disproportionately infringe on the freedom of expression and communication of under-15s, while failing to provide sufficient safeguards for their privacy.
France’s top court has blocked a bill that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media, dealing a knock to President Emmanuel Macron, who had pushed for the law.
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The Constitutional Council said the legislation would disproportionately infringe on the freedom of expression and communication of under-15s, while failing to provide sufficient safeguards for their privacy.
“The Council holds that the contested provisions, on the one hand, disproportionately infringe upon the freedom of expression and communication and, on the other, fail to provide the legal safeguards necessary to ensure the right to respect for private life,” it said.
Under the proposed law, children under 15 would have been prevented from creating social media accounts from September 1.
Existing accounts belonging to under-15s would have been deleted within four months of the law passing, while other accounts would have been subject to age-verification checks.
Read more: Young people call on Burnham to rethink social media ban
The Constitutional Council said the bill failed to clearly set out the conditions and limits under which age verification should be carried out, raising concerns over privacy and individual freedoms.
French lawmakers approved the proposed changes in July, making France the first European country to follow Australia in introducing such restrictions.
However, similar laws have produced mixed results elsewhere, with some lawmakers now considering tougher penalties.
France’s move follows efforts by countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey to restrict young people’s access to social media.
The European Union has also said it wants greater and more effective protections for children online, although social media companies have generally opposed blanket bans.
Platforms say they already offer features designed to protect younger users, but have said they would comply with any new legal requirements.
Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Macron, who urged teenagers in April to turn off their devices, has asked Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to consider the Constitutional Council’s criticisms of the legislation.
The Elysee said Macron remains determined to see the reform take effect before spring 2027, when France holds its next presidential election.