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France's Constitutional Council strikes down social media ban for minors
The French Constitutional Council has struck down a law that would have banned social media access for children under 15. While the Council acknowledged the constitutional necessity of protecting minors, it ruled that the legislation constituted an "unproportionate" infringement on the freedom of expression and communication of young people.
Key criticisms from the Council included the law's failure to distinguish between different types of online services and its lack of clear legal safeguards regarding age verification. The judges noted that the mandate would effectively require all users, including adults, to prove their age, but the law did not sufficiently specify the conditions or limits for such verification.
In response to the ruling, President Emmanuel Macron has instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a new, legally robust version of the law. The administration remains committed to the goal of restricting social media use for minors and aims to have a revised reform implemented by the spring of 2027.
Entities
Constitutional Council · Emmanuel Macron · France · French Constitutional Council · French Parliament · La France Insoumise · Meta · Sébastien Lecornu · TikTok
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 23 SOURCES] President Emmanuel Macron instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to rewrite the law to be legally robust. racin.mk · www.elmundo.es · www.insider.gr · www.tlz.de · www.sozcu.com.tr · +16 more
- [● 30 SOURCES] The ban applied to services where risks to minors' health and safety had not been proven. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.faz.net · www.elmundo.es · thefaq.gr · www.francetransactions.com · +22 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] The law lacked sufficient legal guarantees for age verification and threatened user privacy. racin.mk · thefaq.gr · www.insider.gr · www.francetransactions.com · www.tlz.de · +14 more
- [● 35 SOURCES] The ban was deemed an inadequate, unnecessary, and disproportionate restriction on freedom of expression and communication. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.faz.net · www.elmundo.es · thefaq.gr · www.francetransactions.com · +23 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] The French Parliament passed the law on July 21. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.elmundo.es · racin.mk · www.sozcu.com.tr · www.faz.net · +15 more
- [● 42 SOURCES] The French Constitutional Council struck down the ban on social media use for minors under 15. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.faz.net · racin.mk · thefaq.gr · www.elmundo.es · +30 more