Eurochild’s reaction to the EU Expert Panel report on child safety online

The report reflects many of Eurochild’s recommendations, marking a significant step towards safer digital environments by placing responsibility on platforms rather than children and families. Eurochild urges the European Commission to translate these recommendations into ambitious, enforceable legislation that protects and empowers every child online.

On 13 July, the co-chairs of the Special Expert Panel of the European Commission’s President, Ursula Von der Leyen published their report Child safety online: Protecting and Empowering Minors in a Digital World on Monday. The independent report is intended to inform future action by the European Commission and EU Member States. The Commission has announced that it will consider the recommendations and present proposals after the summer.

Eurochild director Mieke Schuurman participated in the 2^nd Special Expert Panel on behalf of Eurochild together with our members Rasmus Kjeldahl from Borns Vilkar (DK), Leanda Barrington-Leach from the 5RightsFoundation (UK)/ Alex Cooney from CyberSafeKids (IE), who are all acknowledged for their contributions.

The report contains many recommendations that reflect what Eurochild and its members have called for, particularly its recognition that social media and other digital service providers retain primary responsibility for children’s safety. It calls for the burden of proof to be shifted to providers, who should be required to demonstrate that their services are safe and age-appropriate for children.

• A harmonised EU-wide access restriction to social media and other digital services, including AI companions, for children under 13. Eurochild recognises the importance of avoiding a fragmented approach across the EU. The report would also allow Member States to introduce additional precautionary restrictions for adolescents over 13. There is a need to ensure that this would not result in unequal access to their rights, protections and digital opportunities depending on where they live in the EU.
• The report also recommends that specific age restrictions apply until key safety design features protecting children and adolescents are introduced by social media and other digital services providers. According to the two co-chairs of the Special Expert Panel, until providers have demonstrated safe and age-appropriate features, therefore complying with EU and national measures, they should not have access to minors.
• Clear safety-by-design and age-appropriate safeguards. The report calls for protection to be embedded into the design of social media and other digital services, including measures addressing addictive features, infinite scrolling, autoplay, persistent notifications and potentially harmful recommender systems. This reflects Eurochild’s call to address the attention-maximising business models and design choices that drive risks for children, rather than placing the burden on children and families to manage them.
• Effective and privacy-preserving age-assurance systems. These should support age-appropriate services and safety-by-design measures. Eurochild underlines that age assurance must be necessary, proportionate, accurate and limited to confirming whether a user meets the relevant age threshold. It must not enable additional profiling or data collection and must always operate alongside wider safety measures, rather than becoming a standalone solution.Adopt measures to ensure social media and other digital services providers have clear obligations to prevent, detect, report and block child sexual abuse online, including in interpersonal communication  - it is recommended that the permanent Regulation to combat CSA) is adopted swiftly.
• Stronger accountability, enforcement and independent research. The report recommends improved cooperation between supervisory authorities, stronger enforcement capacities and better access to platform data for vetted researchers. This reflects Eurochild’s call for independent scrutiny, meaningful researcher access to platform data and more longitudinal, interdisciplinary and child-centred research.
• The report also includes specific recommendations to empower children and adolescents online, such as expanding safe opportunities for minors to actively participate in shaping the social media+ environment; mainstream digital education and literacy; strengthening complaint mechanisms, etc.
• Public investment in support and offline opportunities. The report recommends sufficient public funding and common standards for civil society organisations, Safer Internet Centres, helplines and peer counselling. It also calls for greater investment in safe, inclusive and age-appropriate offline spaces where children can connect, learn, play and build relationships. This is particularly welcome, as governments cannot outsource their obligations to protect and support children to digital platforms.

However, the report places considerable emphasis on parents/carers to support younger children (below 13y). Although it recognises that providers retain primary responsibility and that parents have unequal capacities and resources, its age-specific recommendations continue to rely heavily on parental supervision and control. Eurochild is concerned that this could disadvantage children in vulnerable situations, including children without parental care or whose parents are unable or unwilling to provide this level of support.

Overall, the report represents an important step forward because it recognises that children’s online safety cannot be achieved through age restrictions alone. The EU response must prioritise platform accountability, reform harmful and attention-maximising design, protect children’s rights by design and by default, and ensure that strong legislation is rigorously enforced. Age restrictions must not become a substitute for making the digital environment safe for all children, including those who circumvent restrictions or access services without registering.

Now it is time for action and for the EU to ensure children’s protection and empowerment in the online environment with strong laws that are rigorously enforced.

Next: A more detailed analysis of how Eurochild’s contributions have been integrated into the report will be published in September.

Photo from the 2^nd Special Expert Panel meeting.