The Constitutional Council of France rejected the law that would prohibit children under 15 from using social media, ruling that it disproportionately restricted freedom of expression and did not provide sufficient privacy guarantees regarding age verification.
President Emmanuel Macron has asked the government to rewrite the law, with the aim of bringing a revised version into force before spring 2027.
Reuters reports:
“The Council considered that the contested provisions, on the one hand, disproportionately infringe the freedom of expression and communication and, on the other hand, do not provide the necessary legal guarantees to ensure the right to respect for private life.”
French lawmakers had approved the bill in July, making them the first in Europe to follow Australia, whose world-first ban cut off access to platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for those under 16 in December. Australian lawmakers are considering tougher penalties after early data showed no dramatic results.
Countries around the world, including China, Greece, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, have enacted measures aimed at restricting or blocking access to social media for young people, and others have said they are planning to do so.
The European Union said it plans to seek stronger protection for children from harmful social media features.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
