By Thea
Pieridou
Press Officer of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus
On 26 November, the European Parliament approved its report on protecting minors online by a large majority (483 in favor, 92 against, 86 abstentions). Although the text is not a legislative act, it sends a strong political message: the rights and well-being of children must take priority over the commercial interests of digital platforms.
Why This Vote Matters
1. A Clear Message on Children’s Rights
Members of the European Parliament are responding to a reality in which 97% of young people go online every day, and most teenagers check their phones at least once an hour. At the same time, one in four minors shows “problematic” or addictive smartphone use.
The Report Calls For:
- A minimum age of 16 for access to social media, video-sharing platforms, and AI “companions.”
- For children aged 13–16, access would be allowed only with parental consent.
This is important not because it immediately changes national laws, but because it establishes a common reference point for future action at EU and member-state level. It also reflects public opinion: more than 9 out of 10 Europeans consider protecting children online an urgent priority, especially regarding the impact of social media on mental health, online bullying, and inappropriate content.
2. Shifting Responsibility from Families to Platforms
For years, much of
the burden of protection has fallen on parents, teachers, and the children
themselves. The European Parliament vote shifts responsibility to the companies
that design and profit from digital services.
Members of the European Parliament call for:
- Ban the most addictive features for minors (infinite scroll, autoplay, “pull-to-refresh,” reward mechanisms, aggressive gamification).
- Default deactivation of other addictive features for users under 18.
- Prohibit engagement-based recommendation systems for minors (algorithms that maximize screen time and clicks).
- Stricter regulation of “loot boxes” and similar gambling-like mechanisms in games.
- Stronger restrictions on targeted advertising, “kidfluencing,” and misleading design tricks (dark patterns).
Overall, these proposals shift the conversation: the problem is not children who “cannot disconnect,” but products deliberately designed to keep them constantly online.
3. Preparing for the Next Wave: Artificial Intelligence and Age Verification
The report also addresses risks that parents and educators are only beginning to recognize:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) tools – deepfakes, AI nude-generation apps, AI “companions” and agents – that can be used to manipulate or exploit children.
- The need for EU-wide, privacy-friendly age verification systems, including the implementation of age verification and the future European Digital Identity (eID) wallet.
Next Steps
Since this is a
non-legislative, own-initiative report, the vote does not create new laws on
its own. Instead, it:
- Sets the European Parliament’s expectations for upcoming European Commission proposals (such as the Digital Fairness Act).
- Provides a political framework for stricter enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and other relevant rules.
- Serves as a reference point for national authorities, regulators, schools, and civil society organizations working to keep children safe online.
For citizens and
families – in Cyprus and across the EU – the vote sends the message that the
European Parliament aims for a digital environment where minors can learn,
communicate, and be entertained without being treated as targets for
manipulation, addiction, or commercial exploitation.
This recent vote does not close the discussion on children’s digital lives – but it significantly raises the bar for how Europe expects the digital world to treat its youngest users.
