Macron calls for rewriting France's under-15 social media ban

France's top court blocks Macron's social media ban for under-15s By FRANCE 24 France's constitutional council struck down a proposed ban on social media for children under 15 on Friday, citing freedom of expression. President Emmanuel Macron tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with re-working the draft legislation to take the Constitutional Council's concerns into account, the Elysée said in a statement. France's top court on Friday blocked a bill banning social media access for under-15s, saying it infringed upon freedom of expression, a setback for President Emmanuel Macron who asked his government to rewrite the legislation. "By prohibiting minors under the age of fifteen from accessing certain online services, the law inherently requires every person, even an adult, to prove their age before accessing them," the Consitutional Council said in its decision. "However, by failing to specify the conditions and limits under which such proof must be provided, the legislature has not established the legal safeguards necessary to ensure compliance with these requirements," it added. French lawmakers had approved a ban on social media access for children under age 15, becoming the first in Europe, to follow Australia, whose world-first ban barred access to platforms including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for under-16s in December. Macron has ordered Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to re-work the draft legislation to take the Constitutional Council's concerns into account, the Elysée said in a statement. The Elysée said Macron was determined the reform take effect before Spring 2027, when France holds a presidential election. Macron cannot run for a third term. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters)