In Paris, an event occurred that became a serious test for the reputation of Emmanuel Macron's government. The French Constitutional Council issued a ruling blocking a law that was intended to ban citizens under the age of 15 from accessing social networks. The judges ruled that the bill violates fundamental citizens' rights, specifically freedom of expression and the right to respect for private life. This decision came as an unexpected blow to the President's ambitious initiative, which aimed to make France a pioneer in the field of digital protection for minors in the European Union.
Legal Contradictions and Rights Violations
The essence of the conflict lay in the mechanisms for implementing the ban. The Constitutional Council pointed out that, although the law required all users to verify their age, it did not specify the "conditions and limits" within which this information is provided. The judges concluded that the contested provisions disproportionately violate freedom of communication and do not provide sufficient legal guarantees for the observance of the right to privacy. Essentially, the requirement for total verification without clear regulations for data processing was deemed inadmissible.
Government Plan and Reaction to Failure
The bill, passed by parliament in July 2026, provided for strict measures. As of September 1 of the current year, children under 15 were banned from creating accounts, and existing accounts were to be blocked within four months. Platforms were required to implement an age verification system approved by the French regulator. However, following the Constitutional Council's ruling, President Macron has already instructed the government to prepare a new version of the document, which must eliminate the identified legal loopholes and undergo reconsideration.
Global Context: Experience of Australia and Europe
France would not have been the first country to attempt to solve the problem of digital violence against children. Australia was the first in the world to introduce such restrictions, where access to Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube has been banned for users under 16 since December 2025. However, the results of the Australian experiment turned out to be ambiguous, and local authorities are now considering the possibility of tightening liability for violating the ban. European authorities, in turn, continue to state their intention to strengthen child protection, but the French precedent shows the complexity of balancing safety and human rights.
Position of Tech Giants
Owners of the largest platforms traditionally oppose a complete ban, arguing that they already apply measures to protect minors, including age verification and special teen modes. Nevertheless, where restrictions come into force, companies have to adapt to new legislative requirements. The decision of the French Constitutional Council could become an important signal for other EU countries considering similar initiatives, demonstrating that child safety should not be achieved at the cost of total surveillance.
