France's Top Court Approves Landmark Assisted Dying Law While Rejecting Teen Social Media Ban

France’s Constitutional Council has upheld a parliamentary law to legalise assisted dying under specific circumstances, while simultaneously striking down a separate bill that sought to prohibit children under 15 from using social media. The country's highest constitutional authority released its rulings, delivering both a success and a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who strongly advocated for both initiatives.

With this decision, France prepares to join several European nations that have already permitted assisted dying, such as Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. Elisabeth Borne, MP and former French prime minister, expressed support on X regarding the assisted-dying verdict, calling it the culmination of a rigorous democratic process that guarantees personal freedom within a strict framework.

The council affirmed the law entirely while clarifying three provisions: the conscience clause allowing pharmacists to refuse participation, the right of private treatment centres to opt out based on their mission, and the requirement to consider the opinion of welfare guardians for protected patients. Citizens and legal residents may request medical end-of-life support provided they suffer from an advanced or terminal incurable illness causing untreatable, constant physical or psychological suffering, alongside free and informed consent.

Conversely, the Constitutional Court rejected the under-15 social media ban due to freedom of expression concerns. The court noted that requiring age verification for all users without adequate legal safeguards and privacy protections rendered the legislation non-compliant. President Emmanuel Macron subsequently asked Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to draft a legally robust alternative version of the policy.

Previously, Amnesty International criticised the proposed ban, with Secretary General Agnes Callamard urging governments to compel tech companies to remove addictive features and engagement-based algorithms rather than enforcing blanket bans.