French President Emmanuel Macron has asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to support a European Union-wide ban on social media platforms for children under 15. The proposal is linked to a planned European legislative text for harmonising youth online safety rules across all 27 EU member states.
EU Regulation and Age Limits
The European Union is a political and economic bloc of 27 member states, and it can adopt regulations and directives that apply across the bloc. Age-based rules for online platforms are usually connected with child protection, privacy, data processing, and freedom of expression under European law.
France’s Domestic Legal Position
France had earlier approved a domestic law to restrict social media access for users under 15. The French Constitutional Council struck down that law on 14 August 2026 and described the blanket restriction as a disproportionate infringement on privacy and the freedom of expression and communication.
After the ruling, the Élysée Palace said that Macron directed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to prepare a revised national bill that would comply with constitutional requirements. The French Parliament had approved the law on 21 July 2026, and it was scheduled to take effect in September 2026.
European Policy Debate on Online Safety
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had earlier supported tighter limits on children’s online access. Her position favoured a tiered model with supervised access for children under 13 rather than an outright ban for all users under 15.
Policy approaches across Europe remain different, with France and Spain supporting stricter age-limit bans and several Scandinavian countries preferring parental discretion over state-mandated restrictions.
Important Facts for Exams
- The European Union has 27 member states.
- The French Constitutional Council is the highest constitutional authority in France for reviewing the constitutionality of laws.
- The Élysée Palace is the official residence of the President of France.
- Freedom of expression and communication is protected under European constitutional and human rights frameworks.
Online Child Safety and Legal Terms
Blanket bans are legal restrictions that apply to an entire category without individual exceptions. A tiered access system is a regulatory model that applies different rules to different age groups.
