Learn From France's Ruling: Oppose Under-Age Social Media Bans

I'm writing as a concerned constituent about pending legislation on social media restrictions and age verification requirements. France's Constitutional Council recently blocked their own under-15 social media ban, and their reasoning should guide our thinking here in New York. The French court struck down the law because it disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression and communication. More troubling, it failed to provide legal safeguards for the right to private life. As the court explained, prohibiting minors from accessing certain online services inherently requires every person—even adults—to prove their age before accessing them. That's mass surveillance dressed up as child protection. Lawmakers had failed to establish clear rules on how people should verify their age or what limits should apply. Without those guardrails, we're asking tech companies to build systems that collect sensitive biometric or identity data from millions of people. Protecting children is a legitimate goal, but the French court found this approach wasn't appropriate, necessary, or proportionate to achieve it. And President Macron—who championed this law—was actively trying to export this model internationally before his own constitutional court stopped him. I urge you to listen to what France's top court concluded: blanket bans and mandatory age verification restrict fundamental freedoms without solving the underlying problems we're trying to address. Instead of expanding surveillance infrastructure, let's focus on meaningful solutions that don't require every citizen to surrender privacy rights. Please vote against any legislation mandating age verification or implementing social media access bans. Children's safety matters, but not at the cost of constitutionally protected expression and privacy. Thank you for your time and consideration.