Frances top court blocks under-15 social media ban as unconstitutional

France’s Constitutional Council on Friday struck down a law banning children under 15 from using social media, ruling that it disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression and communication. The council, France’s highest constitutional authority, said the measure lacked legal guarantees to protect those rights and failed to distinguish between platforms or the risks they pose to minors .
The law, approved by both chambers of Parliament on July 21, would have made France the first EU country to impose a blanket ban on social media for minors under 15. It also included a prohibition on mobile phone use in high schools and was set to take effect on Sept. 1. The council’s decision followed a challenge by socialist and La France Insoumise lawmakers, who argued the ban violated constitutional protections for free expression and privacy .
President Emmanuel Macron, who had championed the measure, directed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a revised version that addresses the council’s concerns. In a statement, Macron said the government would work “as quickly as possible” to produce a legally robust proposal, aiming to have the law in place by the end of his term in spring 2027 .
The council’s ruling noted that the ban applied indiscriminately to all social media platforms and all minors under 15, regardless of individual risk levels. It also criticized the law’s age verification requirements, which would have compelled all users, including adults, to prove their age before accessing social media .
The measure had been part of a broader push in Europe to regulate minors’ access to digital platforms. Australia introduced a similar ban for under-16s last December, while the UK and Norway have considered comparable restrictions. The European Commission, however, has signaled a preference for parental supervision over outright age bans .
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