France's Constitutional Council struck down the law barring children under 15 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, halting President Emmanuel Macron's plan to enforce the ban by September and obliging a legislative rewrite before the 2027 presidential election.
The council said the bill failed to set clear age‑verification safeguards, making it impossible to prove a minor’s age without imposing the same burden on adults. Lawmakers had approved the measure last month, requiring platforms to close existing under‑15 accounts by early 2027 and to ban mobile‑phone use in high schools.
The decision delays the rollout of age‑restriction mechanisms, sparing tech firms immediate compliance costs and postponing a policy that could shape public debate ahead of the 2027 vote. It also underscores the legal hurdle for other EU states eyeing similar restrictions, as the European Commission weighs an EU‑wide ban for younger users.
While the council deemed the ban “neither appropriate, necessary nor proportionate,” Macron reiterated his determination to see the reform enacted, tasking Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with drafting a new version that meets constitutional standards and aligns with European regulations.