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France: Top watchdog blocks social media ban for children
Denying access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for under-15s would infringe upon freedom of expression, the Constitutional Council has said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Iqbk Advertisement France's highest constitutional authority on Friday struck down the ban on social media for children under 15.
The Constitutional Council ruled that the flagship policy of President Emmanuel Macron's second term infringed on freedom of expression.
"By prohibiting minors under the age of 15 from accessing certain online services, the law inherently requires every person, even an adult, to prove their age before accessing them," it said in its decision.
The Council is a review body that ensures laws comply with the Constitution.
French lawmakers last month approved legislation that barred children under 15 from opening social media accounts from September 1. Beyond that, platforms would have until the start of 2027 to close children's existing accounts.
The law would also have banned the use of mobile phones in high schools and required social media platforms to introduce age-verification measures in accordance with France's privacy regulator.
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The Council, however, found lawmakers had failed to set out clear rules on how people should prove their age and what limits should apply, meaning there were not enough legal safeguards in place.
Macron has instructed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to revise the bill to address the Constitutional Council's concerns, the Elysee Palace said. It added the president wanted the reform in place before France's 2027 presidential election.
Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s in 2025. France was the first in Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month pledged to pursue an EU-wide social media ban for children following a recommendation by an expert group to restrict access for under-13s .
"Our children need time in the real world. Time to play, time to build friendships, time to make mistakes. Time to shape their own identity, their own personality, before an algorithm shapes them instead," von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
"This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children," she said.
A number of other countries have announced plans to consider similar bans, including Brazil, the UK, Canada, Norway and Denmark.
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