France's Constitutional Council on the 30th has decided that a law banning minors from using social networking services (SNS) is unconstitutional. The law in question was introduced by a group of lawmakers in early 2020. The law banned minors under the age of 15 from using SNS without parental consent. The Constitutional Council pointed out that the law restricts the right to freedom of expression and does not clearly define the age verification process, and thus decided that it is unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council's decision on this day has been attracting attention because it could have a significant impact on the global trend of regulating children's use of SNS. Recently, many countries have been actively discussing regulations on children's use of SNS. In the United States, Utah and Arkansas have passed laws regulating children's use of SNS, and other states are also preparing similar regulations. In the European Union, the Children's Online Protection Act was introduced in 2022, and it is currently being reviewed. In Korea, there have been several attempts to regulate children's use of SNS, but they have not been implemented yet. The decision by the French Constitutional Council is expected to have a significant impact on the global trend of regulating children's use of SNS. The French Constitutional Council's decision is being closely watched by many countries, including Korea, as it could affect their own regulations on children's use of SNS. The law that was deemed unconstitutional in France was proposed by lawmakers who wanted to protect children from the negative effects of SNS. However, the Constitutional Council decided that the law was too broad and did not clearly define the age verification process, and thus it was unconstitutional.
The French Constitutional Council's recent decision to strike down France's proposed ban on social media access for children under 15 has sparked concerns about its impact on a global movement. The council ruled that the law infringes upon the fundamental right to free speech, which protects individuals' freedom to express their thoughts and opinions.
This judgment is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the modern significance of online communication in democratic life. The council emphasized that the law's broad scope, which aims to protect minors from online risks, is disproportionate and could limit individuals' right to privacy. As a result, the government plans to revise the bill, taking into account the Constitutional Council's concerns.
The decision is expected to reverberate across the world, as countries like Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada are currently debating similar regulations to control social media access for minors.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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