France's Constitutional Council has blocked a provision of a law that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media, BFM-TV reported on Friday.
The Council ruled that the ban would infringe on teenagers' freedom of speech. Additionally, since the law's text "does not define the conditions for age verification," it could violate privacy.
Decisions of the Constitutional Council, which reviews laws for compliance with the Constitution, are not subject to appeal.
French President Emmanuel Macron remains committed to the idea of banning social media for children despite the Council's ruling. According to a statement from the Élysée Palace, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu must prepare a new version of the law in the shortest possible time, taking into account the Council's decision. The president intends to implement this reform by spring 2027.
In July, the French parliament passed a law banning social media for people under 15. The law requires social networks to verify users' ages, but does not specify how. It also includes a ban on high school students using phones at school, which the Constitutional Council did not object to. Thus, authorities can implement this measure from September 2026 if they wish. Similar measures had previously been adopted for middle school students, who attend before high school.
