French Court Blocks Youth Ban

France’s Constitutional Council on Aug. 14 struck down Article 1 of a Macron-backed law that would have banned children under 15 from accessing social media. The court said the measure was neither appropriate, necessary nor proportionate, and that it infringed freedom of expression and communication. Parliament approved the legislation in July, with the ban set to take effect at the start of the school year in September. President Emmanuel Macron instructed his prime minister to draft a legally sound replacement.