France’s top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy.

A law approved by parliament in July would have barred under-15s from opening social media accounts from the beginning of September. Tech platforms would also have been required to close existing accounts within four months and use age-verification tools approved by ⁠France’s privacy regulator.

However, the constitutional council found that while the law required users to provide proof ​of age, it failed to specify the “conditions and limits” ‌under which this should happen. It also found that the restrictions infringed freedom of expression and privacy.

“The council holds that the contested provisions, on ‌the one hand, disproportionately infringe upon the freedom of expression and communication and, on the other, fail to provide the legal safeguards necessary to ensure the right to respect for private life,” it said.

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