France Top Court Stops Macron's Social Media Ban For Under-15s, Cites Free Speech, Privacy Concerns

Under the proposed law, children younger than 15 would have been prohibited from opening social media accounts from September 1, while existing accounts belonging to underage users would have been closed within four months.

France's Constitutional Council has struck down a law that would have barred children under the age of 15 from accessing social media, ruling that key provisions of the legislation violated constitutional protections for freedom of expression and privacy.

The decision, according to Reuters, delivered on Friday, deals a significant setback to President Emmanuel Macron, who had championed the legislation as part of broader efforts to protect children from the harmful effects of excessive social media use.

Under the proposed law, children younger than 15 would have been prohibited from opening social media accounts from September 1, while existing accounts belonging to underage users would have been closed within four months.

The legislation also required social media platforms to verify users' ages using systems approved by France's data protection regulator before granting access to their services.