EU Takes New Measures to Strengthen Children’s Digital Safety
The European Union has published new guidelines aimed at strengthening the online safety of children and young people. Covering all online platforms except small and micro enterprises, the guidelines seek to protect minors from risks such as grooming, harmful content, addictive behaviours, cyberbullying and manipulative commercial practices.
Among the key recommendations are default private settings for underage users’ accounts and the protection of their personal data from strangers. Platforms are also urged to adjust their recommendation systems to prevent children from being exposed to harmful material and to provide greater control over content feeds. In addition, children should have the right to block or mute other users and should not be added to groups without their explicit consent.
The guidelines further call for the use of age-verification systems that are accurate, reliable, non-intrusive and non-discriminatory. This is considered particularly necessary in relation to access to adult content such as pornography or gambling, as well as for social media services subject to national age restrictions.
EU officials stressed that the main objective of the guidelines is to ensure a safer online experience for children. They also underlined that this step is not only about protection, but is equally critical for the healthy digital development of young people.