France: social media ban for under-15s blocked by constitutional court

Herz — World Desk · 14 August 2026 at 17:38 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What we know

The Constitutional Council, a French institution created under the Constitution of 1958, has blocked the measure, reports The Guardian. It cites freedoms and privacy concerns.

According to the institution, the legislation posed a disproportionate threat to freedom of expression and communication. It failed to adequately protect privacy.

The French Parliament approved the law in July. It was set to prevent those under 15 from opening an account starting in early September.

Technology platforms were also supposed to close existing accounts of those under 15 within four months.

They were required to use age verification tools approved by France's privacy regulator.

The Constitutional Council noted that the law required age verification without defining the 'conditions and limits' of such verification.

The government must revise the law

Emmanuel Macron has asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to revise the legislation to address Constitutional Council concerns, according to the Élysée.

The French president remains determined to implement the reform before spring 2027, when France will hold its presidential election.

Emmanuel Macron cannot run for a third term in that election.

In April, he urged teenagers to turn off their devices and read to become better citizens.

Restrictions in multiple countries

Last December, Australia banned those under 16 from accessing ten platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube.

The list also includes Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, and Twitch.

Indonesia and Malaysia have imposed restrictions targeting those under 16 on certain platforms.

The United Kingdom is preparing to block major applications next year for the same age group.

The European framework

The European Union plans to seek enhanced protections for children against harmful social media features.

It aims to build on the Digital Services Act, a 2022 European regulation that sets rules for platforms and targets illegal online content.

Last month, Ursula von der Leyen advocated for age-appropriate restrictions and graduated access based on age groups.

The president of the European Commission, one of the EU's main institutions, did not propose a specific age limit.

Tech platforms' position

Social media companies generally oppose blanket bans. They say they already implement protections, including a minimum age of 13.

However, they state they would comply with government-imposed restrictions.

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