France’s top court blocks under-15 social media ban, citing constitutional freedoms – Chron

FILE – This combination of 2017-2022 photos shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. On Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, Seattle Public Schools filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, suing the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth. AP Photo/undefined PARIS (AP) — A top court in France on Friday struck down a law banning children under 15 from using social media, saying it infringes on fundamental freedoms. The Constitutional Council ruled that provisions in the ban “disproportionately infringe freedom of expression and communication” and haven’t provided legal guarantees to ensure those rights, according to a press release summarizing the decision. Article continues below this ad France last month became the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban on the platforms amid rising worldwide concerns about the harmful effects of digital content on kids. Both chambers of the Parliament had voted in favor of the measure, which also banned the use of mobile phones in high schools. The legislation was one of the final major measures adopted under French President Emmanuel Macron’s presidency before he leaves office
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