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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.
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 next year. Macron wanted the law to take effect at
the start of the new school year in September, but the bill
faced a review to determine whether it complied with the French
Constitution.
Responding to the decision, Macron said in a statement that he
was fully determined to see the ban take effect by spring and
has tasked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu “with working as
quickly as possible on a legally robust proposal that takes into
account the decision of the Constitutional Council as well as
the European legal framework.”
“On this basis, it will be up to the President of the Republic,
the Government, and Parliament to determine the means and
mechanisms needed to protect our children from social media by
the end of the current term of office,” he added.
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