France's constitutional court rejects social media ban for minors

France's highest court has blocked a law that would have stopped children under 15 from using social media. The ruling came on Friday, 14 August 2026.

The French parliament had passed the ban earlier, making France the first EU country to do so. But the Constitutional Council decided the law went too far. Its main concern was that adults would have to prove their age to use social media, and the law did not include enough protections for this process.

The ban had been due to start in September 2026. President Macron has asked Prime Minister Lecornu to rewrite the law. Macron says he still wants a revised version in place by spring 2027. The original law also included a ban on mobile phones in secondary schools.