France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s
The court said the measure was a disproportionate limit on freedom of expression and privacy, while school smartphone restrictions remain in force.
- On Friday, the Constitutional Council struck down a ban on social media access for children under 15, ruling that the law "constitutes an infringement that is neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate" to freedom of expression.
- The Constitutional Council found the legislation failed to specify conditions and limits for age verification, inherently forcing all users, including adults, to prove their age without necessary legal safeguards.
- President Emmanuel Macron championed this ban as a flagship measure, aiming to make France the first country in Europe to restrict platforms including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for under-15 users.
- Following the ruling, Macron instructed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to draft new, legally sound legislation that accounts for the Council's decision and the European framework protecting minors.
- The President remains fully committed to bringing this reform to fruition by Spring 2027, the palace confirmed, ensuring child protection online remains a priority before the election.
117 Articles
117 Articles
In France, the ban on social networks for children under 15 years of age will not come into force on 1 September: the Constitutional Council censored. ...
Only recently, France's National Assembly and Senate voted in favour of restricting social media for minors. Now, the Constitutional Council has collected the proposal - a setback also for President Macron.
Young people under the age of 15 are allowed to continue using Tiktok, Instagram and other platforms in France for the time being. Emmanuel Macron experiences a bitter defeat – but wants to adapt the law immediately.
After last July 21, the French Parliament had finally approved - with 279 votes in favour and 81 against - the bill to prohibit access to social networks for children under 15 years, the Constitutional Court put a brake on the measure by rejecting it because of the "disproportionate violation of freedom of expression and communication." A storage facility for Emmanuel Macron, who considered the proposal a flagship measure for the end of his mand…
France was the first EU country to ban social media for under 15-year-olds. Now the Constitutional Council has stopped the law for the time being.
President Macron asks for new draft ban on social media after blocking by constitutional authority.
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