France’s highest constitutional authority on Friday (August 14) struck down landmark legislation aimed at banning teenagers under the age of 15 from using social media platforms, ruling that the proposed restrictions disproportionately infringed upon constitutional rights to free expression and privacy. The decision delivers a notable setback to President Emmanuel Macron’s administration, which has prioritised tightening youth digital safety rules and reducing screen time among minors.According to a report by news agency Reuters, following the ruling, the Elysee Palace announced that Macron has instructed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to redraft the bill to address the court’s constitutional concerns before the end of his term in early 2027.
Concerns cited over privacy and age verification
The contested legislation, passed by French lawmakers in July, would have prohibited minors under 15 from creating new accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube starting September 1. Additionally, the rules required tech companies to terminate existing accounts held by underage users within four months and mandate identity-based age verification mechanisms approved by France’s data privacy regulator.However, the Constitutional Council concluded that the measure failed to provide adequate statutory safeguards, saying that the broad prohibition excessively curtailed the constitutional freedom of communication and expression for young citizens. The Justices also noted that while the bill required all internet users to submit age verification, it did not define the strict conditions, legal limits and data protection boundaries required to protect personal privacy.“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,” the ruling stated.The French initiative was part of a widening international movement to restrict youth access to algorithm-driven social feeds. Lawmakers in Paris sought to follow Australia, which passed a nationwide ban for minors under 16 in December, while regulators in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union continue to introduce stricter age verification frameworks and child safety regulations.
