France blocks under-15 social media ban over freedom of expression fears

France's President Emmanuel Macron during a press after a visit to the departmental fire and rescue operational center (CODIS) in Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026.

• France’s highest court has struck down a bill banning social media for teens
• Judges ruled the ban disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression
• This decision also pauses evaluation of VPN usage in France

France's highest constitutional authority, the Constitutional Council, has blocked a controversial bill that would have banned social media access for children under the age of 15. Initially slated to take effect this September, the legislation was struck down on August 14 after judges ruled it severely infringed on fundamental rights.