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2mo ago

French Constitutional Council Overturns Ban on Social Media for Under-15s

The court said the law was an unconstitutional and disproportionate restriction because it was too broad and relied on unsafe age checks, and the president has ordered a rewrite to fit constitutional and EU rules.

Eine Frau hält ein Smartphone, auf dessen Display verschiedene Social Media Apps angezeigt werden.
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Zwei Jungen sitzen auf einer Parkbank und schauen in ihre Handys
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Overview

  • The Constitutional Council ruled on Friday, August 14, 2026, that the parliamentary law banning social‑media access for under‑15s was unconstitutional and could not take effect on September 1.
  • Judges said the text was overly broad, could cover services where harm to minors was not shown, limited parental discretion, and forced impractical age‑verification that would infringe privacy for adults and children.
  • Parliament had passed the measure in July with broad majorities; the draft would have blocked platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, X, Instagram and YouTube, with narrow exceptions for encyclopedias and educational sites.
  • President Emmanuel Macron instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to produce a constitutionally sound, EU‑compliant reform as quickly as possible, aiming to complete a new draft by spring 2027.
  • The ruling shifts the debate to the European level, where the European Commission plans its own proposal on minors’ access next month, and it highlights practical enforcement problems seen in other countries that have tried age bans.