A controversial bill passed by France’s parliament aimed at banning children aged fifteen or younger from using social media was struck down by France’s top court for constitutional matters. This marks a major setback for President Emmanuel Macron as he continues to fight against what he views as dangers posed by social media to minors.
The Constitutional Court determined that the law restricting access to social media for children under the age of 15 violates the basic rights of free speech and communication.
Furthermore, it expressed concerns regarding potential privacy invasions due to the need for age-verification when creating accounts.
Although the bill had been approved by both houses of the French parliament and was set to be implemented in September, it will no longer take effect. Under this proposed law, social media sites would be required to block minors (children less than 15) from gaining access to their services.
Social media platforms would require users to go through an age-verification process to establish that they are older than fourteen.
President Macron believed that implementing such protections would help safeguard minors from various threats presented by social media.
However, the Constitutional Council concluded that the proposed protection was overly restrictive and inadequate in terms of providing proper statutory protections.
Additionally, the court questioned the feasibility of verifying a user’s age without violating their right to privacy.
President Macron however has pledged to pursue further limits on children’s access to social media.
After the ruling, President Macron directed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to draft a revised version of the bill addressing the issues identified by the Constitutional Council.
The hope of the government is to have a new version available in Spring 2027.
2026-08-18 03:27:00
