France's Top Court Strikes Down Social Media Ban for Under-15s

France's top court on Friday struck down a bill that would have banned children under 15 from using social media, ruling that the legislation disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression and failed to provide adequate privacy safeguards. The decision by the Constitutional Council delivered a significant setback to President Emmanuel Macron, who had pushed for the law to take effect before the start of the school year in September.

The bill, approved by French lawmakers in July, would have made France the first country in the European Union to impose such a ban. It would have barred minors under 15 from opening social media accounts and required platforms to close existing accounts for those users within four months. The law also mandated age verification systems approved by the French privacy regulator.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Council found that while the goal of protecting children was legitimate, the bill's methods were flawed. The court stated that the law's requirement for age verification applied to all users, including adults, without specifying the conditions or limits for providing such proof. This created a disproportionate infringement on freedom of...