France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s, citing freedom of expression
France blocks social media ban because it would require adults to prove age
France's Constitutional Council struck down a bill that would have barred under-15s from social media, ruling that the age verification requirement disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression and privacy. President Macron has asked the government to rework the legislation, aiming for enactment before the 2027 presidential election.
The Council holds that the contested provisions, on the one hand, disproportionately infringe upon the freedom of expression and communication and, on the other, fail to provide the legal safeguards necessary to ensure the right to respect for private life.