When the Constitution is the most important thing in the country, not a laughingstock: The Constitutional Council of France has repealed the law banning social networks for teenagers

France's Constitutional Council threw out the draft law that would have banned social-network use by under-15s, saying it clashed with rules protecting freedom of expression and privacy. What was supposed to be a swift move became an unexpected setback for President Emmanuel Macron after the cabinet drew up the new text.

The draft would have deactivated existing teenage accounts and required platforms to verify users' ages from September 1 — i.e., forced checks and account blocks. The court flagged a lack of clear legal guarantees and judged the measures disproportionate, finding them at odds with basic citizen protections.

Parliament had already given the proposal the green light, with supporters hoping France could lead in the EU on this front. Elsewhere, similar responses exist: e.g., Australia limits minors’ access to popular platforms, though many experts and parents still argue about whether bans actually work. The policy now sits in limbo, and the larger argument over how to shield young people online without overreaching remains unsettled.