Full Breakdown
French Court Blocks Under-15 Social-Media Ban; Former Prime Minister Calls for Referendum
8/19/2026, 3:10:59 AM
Court Blocks Under-15 Social-Media Ban
On August 14, the French Constitutional Council struck down Article 1 of a law passed on July 21 that would have prohibited children under 15 from creating new social-media accounts and required platforms to close existing accounts within months. The Council ruled the measure “neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate” to the freedom of expression and communication of minors and criticised the age-verification provisions for lacking adequate privacy safeguards.
Legislative Background and Comparative Context
The legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron and tabled by deputy Laure Miller (Ensemble pour la République), would have made France the first European nation to enforce such a ban, following Australia’s under-16 restrictions that took effect on December 10 2025 and impose fines up to A$50 million (€28 million). Denmark and Austria have announced similar plans but have not yet enacted them.
Attal’s Referendum Proposal and Government Response
Former prime minister and Renaissance party general secretary Gabriel Attal responded on August 16 with a post on X and an opinion piece in *La Tribune Dimanche*, stating he respected the Council’s decision but emphasized an “urgency” to protect children. He argued that hundreds of thousands of youths fall into social-media addiction each year and cited statistics that roughly 19,000 teenage girls are hospitalised annually for self-inflicted injuries, with psychiatric hospitalisation rates for self-harm among girls aged 10-19 having quadrupled over the past decade. Attal proposed a national referendum under Article 11 of the Constitution, arguing that child-protection policy could be decided directly by voters without the year-long legislative process. President Macron immediately instructed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a revised text that addresses the Council’s concerns, with implementation targeted for spring 2027. Minister delegate for digital affairs Anne Le Hénanff confirmed the new draft will move through parliament in the coming months.
Opposition and Legal Concerns
Socialist deputy Arthur Delaporte accused Attal of seeking to bypass the constitutional ruling through an unconstitutional referendum. Constitutional scholar Benjamin Morel echoed this criticism, questioning the legal basis of using a popular vote to reinstate a measure the Council deemed disproportionate.
Future Legislative Timeline
The government plans to present the revised child-protection bill to parliament in the next few months, aiming for adoption by spring 2027. If passed, the law would still ban under-15s from opening new social-media accounts from September and maintain restrictions on mobile-phone use in upper secondary schools, while the broader debate over online safety versus free expression continues across Western democracies.
