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France’s top court strikes down under-15 social media ban
France's Constitutional Council on Friday struck down a law that would have banned social media access for children under 15, ruling that it disproportionately infringed freedom of expression and failed to protect…
The Story in Brief
France's Constitutional Council on Friday struck down a law that would have banned social media access for children under 15, ruling that it disproportionately infringed freedom of expression and failed to protect user privacy. The court said the requirement for users to prove their age before accessing platforms did not specify conditions for collecting such data, reports The Times of India.
President Emmanuel Macron had championed the legislation and thanked parliament for backing it. After the ruling, he tasked Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu with rewriting the bill to address the court's objections and comply with European regulations. A growing number of countries, including Australia, China and the UAE, have introduced or proposed restrictions on young people's social media access.
The Indian Opinion
The ruling pits two legitimate concerns against each other: shielding children from harmful content and preserving free expression. The court rightly questioned the blanket age-verification system, which would have forced all users to prove their age without clear privacy safeguards. The real test is whether Macron's government can design a law that protects minors without creating a surveillance tool for everyone. France must find a more precise, less intrusive mechanism before it tries again.
Sources (4): hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com, timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
