France says high school phone ban to take effect at start of new school year

PARIS, France — The French government announced that a ban on mobile phone use in secondary schools will take effect at the start of the next academic year. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told reporters after a cabinet meeting that President Emmanuel Macron had decided to enact the legislation. Bregeon said the provisions not affected by a Constitutional Council ruling will enter into force, allowing the phone ban in high schools to apply from next week when the new term begins. The council had struck down a separate article of the law that would have prohibited social media use for children under 15 on free expression grounds. The spokesperson said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, at Macron's direction, would redraft the social media provisions. The new text is expected to address the council's concerns, with the government aiming to establish a lasting legal framework for protecting children online by next spring. The Constitutional Council on August 14 rejected parts of the legislation designed to shield minors from the risks of social media, ruling that certain provisions unduly restricted freedom of expression and communication.