HRC61 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

HRC61 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

United Nations Human Rights Council

61^st Session

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

10 March 2026

EU statement

Madam Special Representative,

The European Union thanks you for your report and reiterates our full support for your mandate.

We are deeply concerned about the findings in your report, which show that as children's access to digital technologies increases, cyberbullying is becoming a rapidly growing risk to children. Emerging artificial intelligence tools, including deepfakes and voice cloning, further amplify these risks, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised children who may be targeted because of their appearance, race, gender, disability or other characteristics.

The European Union is taking action. In response to the urgent need to better protect children online, especially from cyberbullying and online harassment, the Commission announced a new Action Plan against Cyberbullying earlier this year. A central element is the development of an EU-wide app enabling children and young people to easily report incidents to national helplines, access support and securely store evidence. Both the Action Plan and reporting app were informed by consultations with children and young people.

In addition, the Better Internet for Kids strategy, adopted by the Commission in 2022, supports the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act. With the protection of minors at its core, the DSA requires online platforms accessible to children to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security, and to provide effective mechanisms for users to flag illegal content and harmful behaviour.

Madam Special Representative,

Could you elaborate on the potential benefits and challenges of introducing age-based restrictions on children's access to social media platforms from a child rights-based perspective?