France’s Constitutional Council has rejected legislation that would have prohibited children under 15 from using social media, finding that the proposed measure went too far and could violate freedom of expression.
The court ruled Friday that preventing minors from accessing social media “without infringing upon freedom of expression and communication” would be overly broad because it failed to account for the circumstances of individual children or differences in risks across platforms. It also raised concerns about privacy.
French lawmakers had backed the proposal by a wide margin last month, potentially making France the first European Union member state to establish a minimum social media age of 15.
However, legislation in France must pass constitutional review before it can take effect.
President Emmanuel Macron has nevertheless signaled that he intends to pursue the policy.
Following the ruling, he instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to revise the legislation quickly, with his office reaffirming his goal of introducing a ban by spring 2027.
The Constitutional Council said protecting children online was a legitimate objective but concluded that the proposed legislation “infringes freedom of expression and communication in a manner that is not appropriate, necessary or proportionate” to achieving that goal.
The council also highlighted a significant privacy issue. Because the proposal would require users to demonstrate their age, it could effectively mean that adults would also have to verify their ages before accessing social media platforms.
France’s decision comes amid a growing international debate over children’s access to social media.
Australia introduced restrictions on social media use by people under 16 last December, while the United Kingdom is considering similar measures.
Spain, Greece and Denmark are also exploring minimum-age requirements.
Macron had previously pushed for the French legislation to move rapidly through parliament, hoping to have the measures implemented by the start of the school year in September.
The government will now have to revise the proposal in response to the Constitutional Council’s objections.
