France's Top Court Blocks Social Media Ban for Under-15s

France's highest court has overturned a pioneering law intended to shield under-15s from social media, ruling it an "disproportionate interference with freedom."

The Constitutional Council declared the ban, passed by Parliament in July, incompatible with the French constitution's principles of "liberty, equality, fraternity." Judges found that prohibiting minors from accessing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat constituted an excessive restriction on their freedom of expression. They also criticized the law for being overly general, failing to distinguish between platforms with proven risks and those without, and for not clarifying parental rights to grant access.

Implementing an age verification system also posed a significant hurdle. The court noted that requiring individuals over 15 to prove their age would be an unacceptable invasion of privacy for adults. Existing verification methods, such as credit card checks, ID scans, or facial recognition, did not satisfy the court's concerns.

President Emmanuel Macron, who had prioritized protecting young people from harmful online influences and addiction, faces a setback. He has tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with drafting a new version of the law that addresses the court's objections and complies with EU legal frameworks, aiming to still achieve online protections for minors.

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disproportionate interference with freedom