Emmanuel Macron resubmits social media ban for minors

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the government is resubmitting a proposal to the European Commission to ban social media use for children under the age of 15. This move follows a decision by the French Constitutional Council on August 14, 2026, which struck down a previous version of the law.

The Constitutional Council ruled that the initial ban was unconstitutional because it was too broad, failed to distinguish between different types of services, lacked mechanisms for parental consent, and did not sufficiently protect privacy rights regarding age verification. While the Council acknowledged the importance of protecting children, it deemed the previous measures disproportionate.

The revised proposal aims to target specific problematic functionalities rather than entire platforms. These features include automatic video playback, nighttime notifications, and the ability to interact with unknown accounts. Additionally, the new framework may allow for exemptions for 13-to-15-year-olds through parental authorization.