French court blocks Macron’s social media ban for under-15s
Macron is now looking to propose a new draft "as quickly as possible".
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- France’s Constitutional Council struck down Macron’s under-15 social media ban, citing expression and privacy concerns.
- The law would have required age checks for all users before under-15s could be blocked from platforms.
- Judges said lawmakers failed to set legal safeguards for age verification, while critics warned of privacy and EU-law issues.
- Macron’s office plans a new draft before 2027, as other countries test similar child social media bans.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
France's top court has ruled that Macron’s social media ban for under-15s went too far and struck it down over freedom of expression and privacy concerns.
The ban, championed by French President Emmanuel Macron, was approved in July and was supposed to be fully implemented from January 2027, making France the first country in Europe to approve the nationwide legislation.
The first stage was supposed to begin in September, preventing people under 15 from opening new social media accounts, with age verification required. The rule would have extended to all existing accounts in January 2027, meaning that all French residents would be required to verify their age.
However, the Constitutional Council, which reviews the constitutionality of legislation, ruled that Article 1 infringed on under-15s’ freedom of expression and communication in a way that was “neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate.”
"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," the Council said.
The Council ruled that lawmakers had failed to establish "the legal safeguards necessary" governing how users’ ages would be verified.
Opponents of the ban highlighted concerns around privacy, how easy it would be to circumvent the ban, and questions about compatibility with EU law. Others argued that there are less restrictive alternatives, like regulating social media platforms rather than the children who use them.
Following the ruling, Macron's office said that the government would work "as quickly as possible" to present a new draft. According to the Elysee Palace, Macron wants to have the reform implemented before France's 2027 presidential election.
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Australia became the first country in the world to block children under 16 from social media in December 2025, although research by UK-based charity the Molly Rose Foundation found that the ban was not as effective as initially believed. Despite the restrictions, 6 out of 10 underage children who previously held accounts on restricted platforms continue to have access to one or more active accounts, it reported.
Several other countries have announced similar bans, including Brazil, the UK, Canada, Norway and Denmark, although implementation is at different stages.
