France’s top constitutional authority on Friday struck down a legislative measure that would have banned social media access for children under the age of 15, according to CBS News. The ruling by the Constitutional Council deals a setback to President Emmanuel Macron, who had championed the legislation as a key domestic reform.
Constitutional Council Blocks Under-15 Social Media Ban
The court found that Article 1 of the legislation constituted an infringement that was neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate to the freedom of expression and communication of minors. Furthermore, the Constitutional Council raised concerns regarding the privacy implications of requiring age-verification systems for all platform users. The court noted that by prohibiting minors under 15 from accessing specific online services, the law inherently required every person, including adults, to prove their age without specifying the conditions and limits for doing so, thereby failing to establish necessary legal safeguards for private life.
The proposed legislation, which was approved by both chambers of the French Parliament last month, would have made France the first country in the European Union to impose a blanket ban on social media platforms for children under 15. Under the planned rules, platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram would have barred younger users, and existing accounts would have been closed within four months using age-verification systems approved by French regulators. The law was originally scheduled to take effect on September 1, just as students returned to school.
President Macron Pushes for Revised Legislation
Following the court’s decision, President Macron stated that his determination to see the reform implemented remained undiminished. According to cnn.com, the Elysee Palace announced that Macron tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with working as quickly as possible on a new, legally robust draft of the legislation. The revised proposal must account for both the Constitutional Council’s ruling and the broader European legal framework.
Macron intends for the reform to take effect before spring 2027, when France holds its next presidential election. Because France enforces a two-consecutive-term limit for its presidents and Macron will mark a decade in office next year, he cannot run in the April national election, making this initiative one of the final major domestic reforms of his presidency.
Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who originally backed the proposal, expressed disappointment over the ruling. We take note of it and respect this decision, which applies to everyone,
Attal stated on social media, vowing to continue fighting against what he described as a deadly poison for children.
Global Context and Separate Educational Rules
France’s legislative effort mirrors a broader international movement aimed at restricting digital platform access for young people. As reported by Yahoo, French lawmakers followed the example set by Australia, which implemented a world-first ban barring access to platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for under-16s in December. Other nations, including China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Greece, and Denmark, have also instituted or planned measures to curtail youth social media access.
Despite striking down the under-15 social media restrictions, the Constitutional Council did not rule on a separate provision included in the broader package that bans mobile phone use in high schools starting September 1. Mobile phones are already prohibited in French elementary and middle schools.
