France, Court bans social media restrictions/ Draft law on access for people under 15 years old is overturned
France's Supreme Court on Friday blocked a bill banning access to social media for people under 15, saying it violated freedom of expression and constituted an obstacle.
The bill would have banned children under 15 from opening a social media account as of September 1. Accounts opened would have been required to be closed within four months by social media platforms, which would also have had to use age verification.
But France’s Constitutional Council found that the bill, while requiring everyone to provide proof of age, failed to “specify the conditions and limitations” under which it should be provided, and infringed on freedoms and privacy. “The Council considers that the contested provisions, on the one hand, disproportionately infringe on freedom of expression and communication and, on the other, do not provide the legal protections necessary to ensure the right to respect for private life,” the Council announced.
French lawmakers had approved the bill in July, becoming the first in Europe to follow the lead of Australia, the first in the world to impose such a ban, restricting access to platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to people under 16 in December. Lawmakers there are considering tougher penalties after data showed the effects were not what they expected.
Countries around the globe, including China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, have either taken measures aimed at restricting or banning access to social media for young people, or are planning them.
The European Union has said it plans to seek stronger protections for children from harmful features of social media.
Social media companies generally oppose blanket bans, saying they have measures already in place to protect younger users, including age restrictions.
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