France: Top court blocks social media ban for children
Denying access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for under-15s would infringe upon freedom of expression, the Constitutional Council has said.
France's top constitutional authority has ruled that the government's proposed ban on social media for children under 15 is unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council deemed the law, which mandates age verification measures, to infringe on freedom of expression. The law, approved by French lawmakers, would prohibit children under 15 from accessing certain online services and require platforms to close existing accounts by the start of 2027.
It also aimed to ban mobile phone use in high schools and implement age-verification measures. However, the Council found the law lacked clear rules on age verification and limits, lacking sufficient legal safeguards. President Emmanuel Macron has ordered Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to revise the bill before the 2027 presidential election.
This decision follows Australia's ban on social media for under-16s in 2025 and a pledge by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to pursue an EU-wide ban for children under 13.
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