Protecting youngsters’s security and psychological well being on social media
MEPs discuss solutions to improve the protection of children and their mental health from risks attached to social media use.
The debate is expected to address the negative impact of social media on young people and possible responses, including age limits and stronger EU action to increase the responsibility of online platforms.
Parliament has called for the introduction of a minimum age limit of 16 for access to social media, and has adopted recommendations on better protecting the victims of online harassment and bullying, and strengthening platform accountability.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) introduced measures to protect minors online, notably an obligation for platforms to ensure high levels of privacy, safety and security for minors online. The Commission published guidelines on the protection of minors in July 2025.
