France’s Constitutional Council has blocked legislation that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media, ruling that the measure infringed on freedom of expression and failed to provide adequate safeguards for privacy.
The decision represents a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who had backed restrictions on children’s access to social media and has now instructed the government to revise the legislation.
The bill, approved by French lawmakers in July, would have prohibited children under 15 from opening social media accounts from September 1.
It also required platforms to close existing accounts belonging to under-15s within four months and implement age-verification systems approved by France’s data protection regulator.
However, the Constitutional Council found that the legislation did not adequately define the conditions and limits governing the collection of age-verification information.
“The Council holds that the contested provisions, on the one hand, disproportionately infringe upon the freedom of expression and communication and, on the other, fail to provide the legal safeguards necessary to ensure the right to respect for private life,” it said.
The legislation would have made France the first European country to introduce such a broad age-based social media restriction, following Australia’s introduction of a world-first ban on social media accounts for users under 16 in December.
Australia’s experience has since prompted debate over the effectiveness and enforcement of such restrictions, with lawmakers considering tougher penalties for platforms that fail to comply.
Several countries, including China, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye, have introduced or proposed measures aimed at restricting young people’s access to social media.
The European Union has also been considering stronger safeguards to protect children from potentially harmful features and content on social media platforms.
Technology companies generally oppose blanket age-based bans, arguing that existing measures can protect younger users. However, major platforms including Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok have previously indicated that they would comply with government requirements.
Following the ruling, Macron instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to revise the legislation to address the Constitutional Council’s concerns.
The Élysée Palace said Macron remained committed to having the reform take effect before spring 2027, when France is scheduled to hold its presidential election. Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.
