France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s

France's Constitutional Council ruled on Thursday that a proposed ban on social media for children under 15 infringes upon freedom of expression, blocking what would have been one of Europe's strictest age-based restrictions on digital platforms. The decision came after the council reviewed the government's draft legislation, which sought to prohibit under-15s from accessing social networks without parental consent.

President Emmanuel Macron said his administration would prepare a new version of the law that might survive constitutional scrutiny, though the specific shape of any revised measure remains unclear. The ruling reflects a broader tension across European democracies between child protection and civil liberties—a debate that has intensified as social media's effects on adolescent mental health have drawn regulatory attention.

The decision arrives amid ongoing discussion in legislatures across the continent about how to balance young people's access to digital platforms with concerns about their psychological wellbeing. The council's reasoning suggested that blanket bans may be too blunt an instrument, though it did not rule out more narrowly tailored restrictions.