France’s plan to ban social media for under-15s has hit a major roadblock.
After the country’s top constitutional authority ruled that the measure violated young people’s freedom of expression.
The Constitutional Council overturned the legislation on Friday, just weeks after French lawmakers approved it.
The ban was meant to stop children under 15 from opening social media accounts from September, with age checks eventually applying to existing users too.
So why did the plan fail? The council said the restriction was neither “appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate.”
It also questioned the safeguards surrounding mandatory age verification. President Emmanuel Macron is not giving up.
He has asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to prepare a revised proposal.
Tougher Online Rules For Children
The government is still aiming to introduce new restrictions by early 2027.
Supporters argue that children need protection from the potential harms of social media, particularly its impact on mental health.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about privacy, unreliable age-checking systems and the ease with which teenagers could bypass restrictions.
France is not alone in wrestling with the issue. Australia has already introduced restrictions for under-16s, while the UK plans a similar ban from January 2027.
The debate is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.
How do you protect children online without giving governments too much control over what they can access?
