PES calls for strong EU action to keep children safe online

The Party of European Socialists (PES) welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament's own-initiative report Protection of Minors Online, led by S&D Vice-President Christel Schaldemose. The report sets out clear and urgent recommendations for the European Commission to reinforce the safety of children online by implementing existing rules, addressing gaps in consumer legislation, and preparing new initiatives where necessary.

For progressives, protecting minors in the digital environment is a political priority. Children and teenagers should be able to benefit from the opportunities of the online world without being manipulated, exposed to harmful content, or targeted by addictive design elements.

The report calls for concrete EU-wide action, including:

• - A harmonised digital age limit, ideally set at 16, with possible access from 13 with parental consent, supported by safe and privacy-preserving age assurance systems.
• - A ban on the most harmful addictive practices, such as dark patterns, infinite scrolling, manipulative recommendation algorithms, loot boxes and in-app currencies targeting minors.
• - A stronger legislative framework, building on the Digital Services Act and feeding into the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, to ensure minors' data, mental health and well-being are better protected.

PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck said:

"Children and parents cannot be left alone to face an online world built around attention-grabbing and profit-driven algorithms. Progressives have long warned that digital spaces must be safer, fairer and designed with young people's well-being in mind. This vote sends a clear message: the EU must act together. Protecting our children online is not optional, it is a responsibility. The progressive leadership of the S&D Group - and in particular of S&D Vice-President Christel Schaldemose as rapporteur - was decisive in setting the path towards stronger online protection for our children. Now we must build on this momentum and deliver."

The PES calls on the European Commission to take the Parliament's recommendations forward swiftly. In a digital landscape where nearly all young people are online daily, only strong, harmonised EU rules can ensure that children grow up in an online environment that informs, educates and empowers.