France’s Constitutional Council, the highest constitutional authority in the country, has blocked the ban on social media for users under the age of 15 years, claiming that it was an infringement of the freedom of expression.
In January, lawmakers had passed a bill seeking a ban on the use of social media by children under 15, and later in July, another vote in the lower house held to the passing of the bill with with 279 votes in favour and 81 against, making it the first European country to implement the ban.
Friday’s ruling by the Constitutional Council overrides the ban, which Presidetn Emmanuel Macron had pledged would be introduced in stages from September.
The court said that it had found that Article 1 of the legislation “constitutes an infringement that is neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate” to the freedom of expression and communication for under-15s. The ruling also raised concerns over the law’s requirement to provide proof of age to access online services and said it failed to establish “the legal safeguards necessary”.
