Let’s make the Internet safe for our children

The EPP Group is pushing for much stronger protection of children online. At a vote in Parliament’s internal market and consumer protection committee, today the EPP voted in favour of new measures to protect minors from harmful content, addictive algorithms, and commercial exploitation. 

“The Internet has immense benefits, but it was not designed with children in mind. They face numerous risks online. We have a youth generation in a mental health crisis. Social media could be a contributing factor. Self-regulation hasn’t worked. How much longer do we wait?” said Dóra Dávid MEP, EPP Group negotiator of Parliament’s report.

The EPP Group proposes that minors under 16 should not be allowed to register on social media or video-sharing platforms without parental consent. This measure balances children’s rights and safety, while recognising parents’ responsibility to decide when their child is mature enough. 

“Parents - not algorithms - should be in charge of raising our kids. That’s why we proposed parental consent for under-16s. But it can’t be parents alone - otherwise it’s a David and Goliath struggle. Everyone - parents, schools, and tech companies - has to play their role in protecting children online”, Dávid added.

The Group also calls for banning certain commercial practices that target children. “Once children are old enough to access the digital space, we also need to ensure that it is safe for kids, for example, by banning profiling-based recommendations that fuel addiction. Education and awareness-raising for both children and their guardians are also key. We also want to prohibit platforms from incentivising ‘kidfluencing’, a growing trend that makes kids dependent on platforms, on community feedback such as likes, views, feedback, and on pressure to constantly create content for commercial gain”, Dávid concluded.