Key Priorities for the newly appointed European Commission on Child Safety Online

Eurochild welcomes the appointment of the new European Commission and the political will shown by the relevant commissioners to protect children online. What lies ahead for the EU in guaranteeing the rights of every child on the Internet?

In this newly formed College of Commissioners, Henna Virkkunen, the Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, will oversee the implementation of the Digital Services Act, pleading to prioritise children, and address issues related to addictive online designs and deceptive commercial practices, especially in videogames. Glen Micallef, appointed Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport, has committed to developing a strategy to combat cyberbullying, key issue highlighted by Eurochild members. Finally, Magnus Brunner, as the Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, will focus on revising Directive 2011/93 on combating child sexual abuse and will continue to lead negotiations on the Regulation against child sexual abuse.

Under their leadership, the next five years will be crucial for addressing online challenges that significantly impact the daily lives of millions of young internet users across and beyond European borders. For this reason, Eurochild, along with 12 members, calls on the new Commission, Member States, and the European Parliament to prioritize four critical issues in the upcoming mandate.

First, the uniform implementation of existing policies and regulations must continue, particularly concerning the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the AI Act. Flexible, clear, and harmonized guidelines are necessary to facilitate effective enforcement that contributes to the realisation of children’s rights under these regulations. The European Commission is expected to release guidelines on minor protection under the DSA, which will play an important role in making online platforms safer for children.

Secondly, combating child sexual abuse should remain an absolute priority in the EU, which hosts 60% of reported child sexual abuse material, especially given the rise of AI-generated CSAM and the younger age of first exposure. We must use all the tools available to address the current Child Sexual Abuse Crisis. The EU must swiftly reviewthe 2011/93 Directive to adapt the crimes to online forms of abuse and finalise negotiations of a Regulation that enables the detection, reporting, and removal of all child sexual abuse material online.

The EU must work further in providing age-appropriate experiences for children and promoting their active participation. For this, The European Commission must advance the drafting of the Code of Conduct on Age-appropriate Design provided by the Better Internet for Kids+ Strategy, which can provide a much needed comprehensive approach to internet safety for children. This also includes greater protection for children as consumers, protecting them from manipulations and dark patterns that have an effect in their mental and physical wellbeing. In this context, the Digital Fairness Fitness Check should prioritize ensuring a high level of safety online for children by design and by default across the products and services they use.

Finally, the new Commission should pay specific attention to enhancing coordination among the various institutions and services working on children's rights and welfare, ensuring that policies are effectively coordinated and that children's voices are heard in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. The Commission should also seek to create synergies across the EU by adequately resourcing and scaling grassroots initiatives at the national level.

Read more about Eurochild political priorities in the digital environment for 2024-2029 here.

For further information, please contact Fabiola Bas Palomares, Eurochild Lead Policy & Advocacy Officer on Online Safety.