France’s Top Court Blocks Social Media Ban for Under-15s

France’s Constitutional Council has rejected legislation that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media, ruling that the proposed law disproportionately restricted freedom of expression and failed to provide adequate safeguards for privacy.

The decision is a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who had backed the measure and has now instructed the government to revise the legislation.

Under the proposed law, children under 15 would have been prohibited from creating social media accounts from September 1. Existing accounts would have been required to close within four months, while social media companies would have been required to introduce age-verification systems approved by France’s privacy regulator.

The Constitutional Council said the bill did not clearly define the conditions and limits surrounding mandatory age verification. It concluded that the measures placed disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression and communication while failing to provide sufficient legal protections for privacy.

French lawmakers approved the bill in July, making France one of the first European countries to pursue such a nationwide restriction. The move followed Australia’s decision to prohibit social media access for users under 16 on major platforms, including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Several other countries, including China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, have also introduced or considered measures aimed at limiting young people’s access to social media.

The European Union has separately indicated that it wants stronger protections for children from harmful features on social media platforms.

Major social media companies have generally opposed blanket age bans, arguing that they already have measures designed to protect younger users. However, the companies have also indicated that they would comply with government regulations.

Following Friday’s ruling, Macron directed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to rewrite the legislation to address the Constitutional Council’s concerns.

The Élysée Palace said Macron remains determined to have the reform implemented before spring 2027, ahead of France’s presidential election. Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

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