France's Top Court Blocks Social Media Ban for Minors, Joining Global Trend

France's bid to become a European leader in restricting minors' social media access suffered a setback when the Constitutional Council invalidated a law banning platforms for those under 15. The decision, announced on August 14, clashes with the government's push to protect young people online.

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The government asks for my replacement, the PD denounces to the European Commission.

President Emmanuel Macron had championed the measure, which aimed to ban new accounts for minors starting in September 2026 and require platforms to verify the age of all users within four months. While the law did not impose penalties on parents or children, it outlined fines for social media companies found in violation. The government, led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, is now tasked with redrafting the legislation for potential approval by spring 2027.

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It cannot be the Vice-President of the Council who decides the professional future of a Rai journalist. And it cannot be the government that decides who should or should not host a public service program.

Meanwhile, countries worldwide are advancing their own regulations. Australia, Turkey, and Indonesia have already enacted legislation. In the United States, states like Florida and Utah have taken action. Brazil is considering a law requiring platforms to verify ages and link accounts of users under 16 to their parents. Nigeria has initiated public consultations on age limits, and Poland's Education Minister, Barbara Nowacka, expressed a desire to limit social media access for children under 15. The European Commission is also expected to present a common roadmap for harmonizing measures later this summer.

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Transforming the victim of an attack into the political defendant of the affair is unacceptable.