According to the newspaper Corriere della Sera, the French Constitutional Court struck down the law that prohibited access to social media for minors under 15, considering it a "disproportionate and unnecessary limitation on freedom of expression and communication." The judges pointed out that the text did not offer sufficient guarantees to protect the privacy of users in the age verification mechanism. They also noted that the rule could affect platforms for which no risks to the health and safety of adolescents had been proven, and that it did not provide for the possibility of parents authorizing their children to use certain services.
The decision is a blow to Emmanuel Macron, who made the protection of minors online one of the flagship measures of the final phase of his term. The president has already asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to rewrite the law taking into account the observations of the Constitutional Council. The Élysée Palace wants to approve a new law before the spring of 2027, when France will hold presidential elections. With the overturning, the country will not be able, at least for now, to adopt the veto already in force in Australia.
The proposal originated from a parliamentary inquiry into the psychological effects of TikTok on minors and even included a "digital curfew" for teenagers aged 15 to 18, as well as a ban on cell phones in high schools.
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Read the original article in Italian at Corriere della Sera.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed: citizenship is born with the person.
- New legal front opened
- Processes can still be filed.
- Individual assessment before any decision.
