France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s

France's Constitutional Council has struck down a law intended to ban social media access for individuals under the age of 15. The council ruled that the proposed legislation infringed upon the fundamental rights of young people, specifically their freedom of expression and privacy. This decision effectively sends the bill back to the drawing board, delaying its planned September 1 implementation. The council's reasoning highlighted that restrictions on minors' speech and expression must be necessary, appropriate, and proportionate, and that the law failed to differentiate risks across various platforms or consider developmental stages. President Emmanuel Macron, however, has not been deterred. He has instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a new version of the law swiftly, with the goal of enacting it before the end of Macron's current term next spring. This move positions France as an early European adopter of stricter social media regulations, following examples set by Australia and discussions in the UK and Norway, though the EU has favored a parental consent approach.