The French Constitutional Council Cancels Law Banning Social Media for Those Under 15

The French Constitutional Council Cancels Law Banning Social Media for Those Under 15

On Friday, the French Constitutional Council annulled a draft law that sought to ban children under the age of fifteen from using social media. The council deemed that the mechanisms required to enforce the ban do not provide sufficient legal guarantees to protect freedom of expression.

In its decision, the council stated that prohibiting minors under the age of 15 from accessing certain online services inherently requires demanding all users, including adults, to verify their age before being allowed to use such services.

It pointed out that the legislation did not adequately specify the conditions and regulations related to age verification mechanisms. According to the council, this means that the legislator did not provide the necessary legal guarantees to ensure the respect of rights and freedoms associated with the use of internet services.

The French Parliament had finally adopted the bill on July 21, 2026, which banned the use of social media for those under 15, as part of government efforts to protect children and teenagers from risks associated with digital platforms.

The law was scheduled to come into effect in September, amid increasing discussions in France and Europe about the impact of social media on children’s mental health and the risks of digital addiction and inappropriate content.

Had the legislation been implemented, France would have been the first country in the European Union to impose a national minimum age for social media usage.

The Constitutional Council’s decision reignites the debate on how to balance the protection of minors in the digital environment on the one hand and guaranteeing freedom of expression, user rights, and the protection of personal data on the other, particularly given the need for age verification systems that encompass all platform users.