Today, the European Parliament adopted Christel Schaldemose’s own-initiative report Protection of Minors Online, which calls on the European Commission to strengthen the protection of minors online through implementing and enforcing existing legislation and to review consumer legislation, and where appropriate, present new legislative proposals aiming to close the existing gap in the regulatory framework.  

Protecting children online is a political priority for the S&D Group. It's crucial that minors can benefit fully from the digital environment without being manipulated, exploited, or exposed to risks. Although crucial existing legislation, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), must be enforced effectively and swiftly, it is not enough to ensure children’s safety online.

Christel Schaldemose, European Parliament vice-president and rapporteur of the report Protection of Minors Online, said:

"The S&D Group has been a driving force on this topic and with this report we present our key demands and recommendations to the Commission for the upcoming Digital Fairness Act. 

"Too many children are exposed to harmful content, advertisements and addictive design on social media platforms. Current legislation is not enough to protect our children from platforms whose algorithms are designed to keep both children and adults online for as long as possible. The platforms are not doing enough to protect our children and we cannot put the burden only on parents. They stand no chance against the big tech companies.  

"We need to ban the most harmful addictive practices such as addictive design, targeted advertisements, influencer marketing, loot boxes, in-app currencies in video games, and dark patterns.

"We also need a harmonised EU digital age limit to access social media platforms. We suggest 16 years, with the possibility of access from 13 years with parental consent. To ensure this, we also need to develop privacy-preserving age assurance systems that are safe, reliable, accurate, and robust.

"Many countries are already discussing these issues, and this is where the EU can provide concrete rules and support. It is far better to have harmonised EU rules to protect our children online than to leave countries and parents on their own. I hope the Commission will take our recommendations into account and publish legislative proposals soon."

Note to editors:

97% of young people use the internet daily, 78% of 13- to 17-year-olds report checking their devices at least hourly and 46% report checking them almost constantly. One in four children and young people display "problematic" or "dysfunctional" smartphone use, meaning behavioural patterns mirroring addiction.  

On online platforms, children are exposed not only to all kinds of harmful, illegal and dangerous content but also to targeted advertising and addictive design features that seriously impact their mental health and well-being. Research suggests that the rise in mental health problems in adolescents may be related to excessive social media use, and social media pressure has been identified as one of the top five causes of mental health difficulties for minors, such as heightened anxiety and depression.

On 20 November, the S&D Group published the S&D 6 principles for an EU approach on age assurance mechanisms. [1]