France's Constitutional Council strikes down under-15 social media ban

France's Constitutional Council struck down a ban on social media access for children under 15, ruling on Friday that the law infringed upon freedom of expression in a manner that was neither appropriate, necessary nor proportionate.

The legislation had been backed by French lawmakers in July, positioning France as the first European country to block young people from the platforms on the grounds of protecting children's mental health. President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to introduce the ban in stages from September.

The Constitutional Council — a nine-member authority that reviews whether laws comply with the French constitution — found that Article 1 of the legislation constituted an infringement of 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.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had referred parts of the legislation to the council for review after lawmakers voted through the bill last month. Following Friday's ruling, Macron immediately asked Lecornu to prepare a new draft that would take into account all of the council's objections.