France’s Constitutional Council has blocked a controversial parliamentary bill seeking to ban children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, ruling that the blanket restriction infringes disproportionately on minors’ freedom of expression and communication. According to the decision issued by the constitutional court, the measure failed to strike a necessary balance between protecting young users and safeguarding fundamental rights, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to order a rewrite of the legislation by the spring of 2027.
Constitutional Council Blocks Under-15 Social Media Ban
The Constitutional Council examined Article 1 of the proposed legislation following a referral in late July by a coalition of socialist lawmakers and members of La France Insoumise. While the court explicitly acknowledged that protecting minors is an essential constitutional objective, it determined that banning access across the board was an inappropriate and disproportionate tool. According to the court’s official written rationale, the contested provisions would have applied broadly to online communication services without sufficiently proving that every targeted platform posed an acute risk to the health and safety of young users. The ruling leaves the remainder of the legal framework intact while forcing lawmakers back to the drawing board.
Macron Orders Rewrite by Spring-2027 Deadline
Despite the legal setback, the French executive branch intends to press forward with stricter regulations for online platforms. Following the court’s rejection, President Emmanuel Macron instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a revised version of the legislation. According to the Elysee Palace, the government aims to present a modified framework by the spring of 2027 that respects the Constitutional Council’s legal parameters while fulfilling the administration’s political agenda. Macron previously championed the initial proposal through a swift legislative process, securing approval in the National Assembly with 279 votes in favor and 81 against, and framing the crackdown on youth digital exposure as a critical societal reform.
Scope of the Censored French Social Media Law
The rejected legislation featured a sweeping scope designed to curb digital addiction and safeguard the health and safety of adolescents. If implemented, the ban would have barred teenagers under 15 from major networks including TikTok, Snapchat, X, and Instagram. Furthermore, the restrictions targeted specific interactive features embedded within other digital ecosystems, such as YouTube’s sharing and comment channels, messaging applications like WhatsApp and Messenger, and online multiplayer video games featuring integrated social elements. Following the example of Australia, the bill positioned France as the first European nation to introduce a ban of this type.
School Phone Bans and Assisted Dying Approvals Unaffected
The high court’s intervention was narrowly focused on the social media provisions, leaving separate measures untouched. The ban on mobile phones in high schools, scheduled to take effect on September 1, remains fully valid as the Constitutional Council was not asked to review that specific clause. In a separate decision delivered on the same day, the high court fully approved legislation establishing a legal right to assisted dying for adults suffering from incurable diseases. This concurrent ruling places France alongside nations such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Uruguay in authorizing assisted suicide, marking a significant milestone for individual rights even as the digital age restrictions face a mandated legislative redesign.
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