French President Macron announced that a new draft law regulating social media use by children under 15 had been prepared and notified to the European Union (EU) Commission. Macron said work had been completed to ensure that the regulation was compatible with European norms and legally sound, adding that the measure should be adopted across Europe.
The previous regulation, approved by both chambers of Parliament, was annulled by the Constitutional Council on 14 August on the grounds that it constituted a “disproportionate interference” with young people’s freedom of expression.
Why it matters
The preparation of the new draft shows that regulation of children’s social media use in France must comply not only with political will but also with constitutional review and European Union law. The annulment of the previous regulation on freedom-of-expression grounds makes it necessary for age-limit rules to strike a balance between the aim of protecting children and fundamental rights. The notification of the draft to the EU Commission points to France’s effort to link its approach in this area to common rules in Europe. However, it is not yet clear whether the regulation contains the legal safeguards needed to prevent previous objections from being repeated or whether it will find support in other European countries.
Background
France is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 3 reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated 16 September 2026.