France's Constitutional Council Strikes Down Under-15 Social Media Ban

France's highest constitutional authority has invalidated a recently passed law that would have prohibited children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. The Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that the blanket restriction "disproportionately infringe[s] freedom of expression and communication" and lacks sufficient legal safeguards to protect those rights.

The decision marks a significant setback for the French government, which had championed the measure as a landmark step in protecting minors from harmful digital content. France had become the first country in the European Union to pass such a comprehensive ban, a move that also included restrictions on mobile phone use in high schools. The legislation had received approval from both chambers of Parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron, who had sought to have the ban take effect at the start of the new school year in September, responded to the ruling by reaffirming his commitment to the policy's goals. In a statement, he said he was "fully determined" to see the ban implemented by spring and has tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with developing a "legally robust proposal" that respects the court's decision and aligns with European legal standards.

The president added that it would be up to the executive and Parliament to determine the appropriate mechanisms to protect children from social media before the end of his current term. The ruling forces a return to the drawing board for the government, which must now craft new legislation that balances child safety concerns with constitutional guarantees of free expression.