Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
The European Commission has emphasized the importance of protecting minors online. With children making up a significant portion of internet users, ensuring their safety is crucial. Executive Vice-President Virkkunen announced two key initiatives alongside Danish Minister for Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage: the publication of the Digital Services Act (DSA) Guidelines on the Protection of Minors and a blueprint for age verification online.
The DSA guidelines aim to enhance child safety by requiring online platforms to maintain high levels of privacy and security for minors. These guidelines offer recommendations for platforms to address risks such as exposure to harmful content. Developed through research and public consultation, they incorporate feedback from young people about their online challenges.
Key measures include setting children’s accounts to private by default, allowing more control over recommendation feeds, removing features that may lead to addictive behaviors or cyberbullying, and providing age-appropriate design and reporting tools. Online platforms are also expected to adopt secure age assurance solutions.
Additionally, a blueprint for age verification online has been released. This includes a pilot phase for testing an EU-harmonized method in collaboration with Member States. The blueprint aims to protect minors from inappropriate content while preserving privacy.
Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain will be the first countries to implement this approach with plans for broader adoption by early 2026.
Ensuring a safe digital environment for children remains a top priority for the European Commission. The new guidelines and age verification blueprint mark significant progress towards achieving this goal.
Thomas REGNIER
Spokesperson
Phone: +32 2 29 91099
Mail: [email protected]
Patricia POROPAT
Press Officer
Phone: +32 2 29 80485
Mail: [email protected]
