Social media ban on under-15s blocked by France's top court

PARIS,— France’s Constitutional Council on Friday struck down a bill that would have banned social media access for children under 15, ruling that it violated free speech protections.

The decision is a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who has now asked his government to rewrite the measure.

The law, had it stood, would have stopped anyone younger than 15 from opening a new social media account starting September 1.

Existing accounts held by young users would have had to be shut down by platforms within four months. Companies also would have been required to use an age verification system approved by France’s privacy watchdog.

The Constitutional Council said the bill demanded proof of age from users but did not spell out clear rules or limits for how that proof should be collected. Judges said this created problems for both free expression and the right to privacy.

The council stated that the rules in question placed an unfair burden on freedom of expression and communication, and did not include enough legal protection for people’s private lives.

French lawmakers passed the bill in July, making France the first country in Europe to follow Australia’s lead.

Australia’s ban, the first of its kind in the world, blocked users under 16 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube starting in December.

Australian officials are now weighing tougher penalties after early results showed mixed outcomes.

Other governments have taken or proposed similar steps to limit young people’s access to social media, including China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

The European Union has also said it intends to push for stronger safeguards for children against harmful features on social platforms.

Major social media companies have generally pushed back against sweeping bans, arguing they already have safeguards for younger users, such as age limits.

Still, these companies have said they would follow any bans set by governments. Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok did not respond right away when asked for comment.

Macron, who in April encouraged teenagers to put down their phones and read books to become better citizens, has directed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to revise the bill to address the court’s concerns, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.

The Elysee said Macron wants the new version in place before spring 2027, when France will hold its next presidential election. Macron is barred from seeking a third term.

Political analyst Henase Karim told the iKurd.net News that requiring identity verification for internet use would end online anonymity, since users would need to submit official documents KYC to prove who they are, and with connecting to the internet, they must log in with it.

Karim said any country adopting such rules is limiting personal freedom, pointing to Australia and the United Arab Emirates as examples of nations he described as restrictive on rights and freedoms.

(With files from Reuters)