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France Constitutional Council strikes down social media ban for under-15s
The French Constitutional Council has struck down a law that would have banned social media use for children under the age of 15. While the Council acknowledged the constitutional necessity of protecting the best interests of minors, it ruled that the ban was an “unproportionate” restriction on the freedom of expression and communication of young citizens.
Key criticisms from the Council included the law's overly broad nature, noting it failed to distinguish between high-risk platforms and services where the risks to health and safety had not been proven. Additionally, the Council found that the proposed age verification mechanisms lacked sufficient legal safeguards and clear implementation guidelines, potentially impacting the privacy of all users.
President Emmanuel Macron, a strong supporter of the measure, has expressed determination to see similar restrictions implemented by the spring of 2027. Following the ruling, Macron instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a new, legally robust version of the legislation that addresses the Council's specific concerns.
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 well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 21 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.ethnos.gr · +15 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 · +24 more
- [● 19 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 · +13 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 · +29 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] The French Parliament passed the law on July 21. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.elmundo.es · racin.mk · www.biziday.ro · cryptoast.fr · +18 more
- [● 40 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 · +34 more