The French government on Monday submitted a new version of its proposed law banning social media access for children under 15 to the European Commission, one month after the country’s Constitutional Council struck down the original text. President Emmanuel Macron announced the move on social media, vowing to “not let go” in the push to protect minors online.
Constitutional Hurdle Prompts Rewrite
The Constitutional Council ruled in mid-August that the parliamentary text imposed a “disproportionate infringement” on adolescents’ freedom of expression and communication. However, the council simultaneously recognized “the constitutional requirement to protect the best interests of the child,” giving the government a narrow path to legislate.
“After rigorous technical work, the government is today notifying new drafting to the Commission, one month after the Council’s decision,” Macron said. “We will see this through.”
The notification to Brussels is a critical procedural step to ensure the future legislation complies with European law before it can be re-introduced domestically.
Targeting Addictive Features Rather Than Platforms
According to a source within the executive branch, the revised approach lists approximately ten harmful or addictive functionalities rather than naming specific platforms — a strategy designed to navigate both constitutional and European legal constraints. These include:
- Automatic video playback
- Nighttime notification streams
- Communication with unknown accounts
This functional approach would allow the government to target the most problematic features without explicitly naming platforms, which would not be permitted under European rules. The text also includes exemptions for adolescents aged 13 to 15, subject to approval by their legal representatives.
Push for EU-Wide Harmonization
Macron also revealed he had written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week requesting an EU-wide text to ban social media access for under-15s across the bloc.
“I shared with the President of the European Commission my determination that Europe move quickly and rigorously to harmonize this ban at the Union level and regulate platform functionalities,” Macron said. “I welcome that the protection of minors online is now a priority for our Europe.”
A European source told AFP that von der Leyen is considering proposing an under-15 ban that could be lifted for 13-to-15-year-olds with parental consent — an approach that appears to converge with the revised French position.
“We must not accept the addictive functionalities of social media” or allow “children to be pushed toward ever more extreme content,” von der Leyen said in a video posted on X last Thursday.
Macron reaffirmed his commitment to finding “a path forward this autumn” through revised national legislation that respects both EU law and the French Constitution.
