What changed

B100213/2026

P10_TA(2026)0163

European Parliament resolution on theThe need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment

(2026/2693(RSP))

PE783.241

European Parliament resolution of 30 April 2026 on the need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment (2026/2693(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Oral Question O-000018/2026 on the need for targeted criminal provisions on cyberbullying and online harassment and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address these issues, which is addressed to the Commission,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular its articles on human dignity, the right to life, freedom of expression, the rights of the child, victims’ rights, privacy of communications, and the protection of personal data,

– having regard to the EuropeanUnited Nations Convention on Human Rights and the case-lawRights of the European Court of Human Rights,Child,

– having regard to ArticleArticles 83(1) and (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act (DSA)),Act),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act),

– having regard to the Commission communicationguidelines of 10 October 2025 entitled ‘Guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, pursuant to Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065’ (C/2025/5519),2022/2065,

– having regard to the Commission reportcommunication of 202510 February 2026 entitled ‘Cyberbullying:‘Action InsightsPlan fromagainst science,cyberbullying policy“Safer andonline, legislation’,stronger together“’ (COM(2026)0071),

– having regard to the Commission communicationreport of 1025 FebruaryNovember 20262025 entitled ‘Action Plan‘Cyberbullying against– cyberbullyingInsights ‘Saferfrom online,science, strongerpolicy together’and (COM(2026)0071),legislation’,

– having regard to the Commission’s LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030 of 20 October 2025,

– having regard to the Commission’s EU anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 of 20 January 2026,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 May 2022 entitled ‘A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+)’ (COM(2022)0212),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2021 entitled ‘A more inclusive and protective Europe: extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime’ (COM(2021)0777),(COM(2021)0777) and the proposal for a Council decision annexed thereto,

– having regard to its resolution of 5 October 2023 on the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+),

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime,

– having regard to national legislation against cyberbullying, including Ireland’s Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, known as ‘Coco’s Law’,

– having regard to the speech delivered by Coco’sJackie Fox, Coco Fox’s mother, Jackieat Fox,the inEuropean Parliament on 10 March 2026 on the occasion of International Women’s Day,

– having regard to Rulethe 136(2)Commission ofLGBTIQ+ itsequality Rulesstrategy 2026-2030 of Procedure,8 October 2025 (COM(2025)0725),

A. whereas cyberbullying is a growing problem, as recognised in the Commission’s action plan; whereas 18.3 % of children worldwide have experienced cyberbullying through electronic messages or social media posts; whereas cyberbullying also occurs through audiovisual content such as pictures or videos shared online; whereas in Europe, around one in six children aged 11 to 15 report that they have been victims of cyberbullying; whereas about one in eight children admit to cyberbullying others; whereas between 2018 and 2022, the number of adolescents experiencing cyberbullying rose by a quarter for boys and almost a quarter for girls; whereas over the past five years, cyberbullying has consistently been the main reason for contacting Safer Internet Centres helplines; whereas cyberbullying disproportionately affects those at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities (e.g. girls, LGBTIQ+ youth, children with disabilities, or those from minority backgrounds), and these overlapping identities compound the harm experienced;

– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2025 on the protection of minors online,

B. whereas, in its resolution of 29 April 2021 on the European Child Guarantee, Parliament called on the Member States to develop strategies to protect children from online bullying and child sexual abuse;

– having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

C. whereas the Commission President announced in her 2025 State of the Union speech that she would commission a panel of specialists to advise on the best approach for the EU with regard to child safety online and potential age restrictions for social media use; whereas this special panel is tasked with exploring key issues relating to the safety of children online, such as a harmonised EU age limit for social media, tailored protections based on age and risk, and educational measures to promote responsible social media use; whereas the panel has met twice; whereas by the summer of 2026, the co-Chairs are supposed to report to the Commission President on the panel’s findings and recommendations;

A. whereas cyberbullying refers to behaviour carried out through digital technologies with the primary intention or effect of repeatedly or continuously humiliating, socially excluding, abusing, harassing or harming people, in particular children or young people;

D. whereas cyberbullying often has a cross-border dimension;

B. whereas cyberbullying is a growing problem, as recognised in the Commission’s action plan against cyberbullying; whereas 18,3 % of children worldwide have experienced cyberbullying through electronic messages or social media posts; whereas in Europe, around 1 in 6 children aged between 11 and 15 report being victims of cyberbullying; whereas between 2018 and 2022, the number of adolescents being cyberbullied rose by a quarter for boys and almost a quarter for girls; whereas over the past five years, cyberbullying has consistently been the main reason for contacting the Safer Internet Centres’ helplines;

E. whereas several Member States have introduced targeted criminal provisions to address cyberbullying;

C. whereas the 2025 Digital Decade Eurobarometer found that 92 % of EU citizens consider there to be an urgent need for public authorities to act to protect children online from cyberbullying and online harassment, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent, address and mitigate the harmful effects of cyberbullying across the Member States;

F. whereas on 9 December 2021, the Commission proposed adding ‘hate crime’ to the list of ‘EU crimes’ under Article 83 TFEU; whereas this proposal did not receive the required unanimous support among the Member States;

D. whereas cyberbullying disproportionately affects those at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities, including women and girls, LGBTIQ+ people, young people, children with disabilities, those from minority backgrounds, migrants and racialised young people, and whereas these overlapping grounds for discrimination compound the harm experienced;

G. whereas the Commission has announced the adoption of the next EU strategy on victims’ rights in 2026 to complement EU rules with non-legislative measures aimed at promoting structures for targeted psychological support and protection services for child victims, including those of online crime;

E. whereas cyberbullying and online harassment, including image-based abuse, have severe and lasting consequences for victims, particularly minors, including psychological harm, social alienation and, in extreme cases, loss of life;

H. whereas the Commission has initiated a number of investigations under the DSA against very large online platforms in relation to cyberbullying or harassment, including investigations into compliance with the ‘notice and action’ mechanism and possible shortcomings in risk assessment and mitigation measures;

F. whereas cyberbullying must be understood, in many cases, as a form of gender-based violence, including the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images, coordinated hate campaigns and attacks against women in public life; whereas artificial intelligence is giving cyberbullying a new, dangerous dimension, primarily targeting women and children;

The cyberbullying action plan

G. whereas cyberbullying has a cross-border dimension as it frequently occurs across social media platforms, messaging applications, gaming environments and other online spaces; whereas it has emerged as one of the most significant threats to the online safety and well-being of minors and young people in the EU;

1. Welcomes the Commission’s action plan against cyberbullying; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that platforms are held accountable to prevent and counter cyberbullying;

H. whereas there is no commonly agreed legal definition of cyberbullying at EU or international level; whereas significant legal fragmentation persists across Member States with regard to the definition of and penalties for cyberbullying, resulting in unequal levels of protection for victims and legal uncertainty for law enforcement authorities;

2. Welcomes the Commission’s focus on prevention and digital literacy as effective long-term tools for combating cyberbullying; calls on the Commission and the Member States to substantially invest in age-appropriate digital education, media literacy programmes and teacher training, ensuring that these resources reach children in all socio-economic contexts;

I. whereas several Member States have introduced targeted criminal provisions addressing cyberbullying; whereas national legislation such as Ireland’s ‘Coco’s Law’ attempt to address harmful online behaviour, including the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and serious online harassment; whereas on 9 December 2021, the Commission proposed adding ‘hate crime’ to the list of EU crimes laid down in Article 83(1) TFEU; whereas this proposal did not garner the necessary unanimous support among Member States;

3. Highlights, in this regard, the recently published Commission guidelines under the DSA on the protection of minors online, which specify how platforms can ensure that minors are safe when using their services;

J. whereas the Commission President announced in her 2025 State of the Union address that she would convene a panel of specialists to advise on child safety online and potential age restrictions for accessing social media; whereas the co-chairs are expected to report their findings and recommendations to the Commission President by summer 2026;

4. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission to follow up on its announcement to issue guidelines for trusted flaggers on cyberbullying, which will help clarify their role in tackling content, including cyberbullying;

K. whereas the business model of certain online platforms incentivises the spread of hateful content, contributing to an unsafe online environment for minors, women, LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities; whereas the Commission has initiated a number of investigations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against very large online service providers in relation to cyberbullying and harassment;

5. Welcomes the stricter implementation and enforcement of existing legislation, as announced in the cyberbullying action plan;

Commission action plan against cyberbullying

6.1. Welcomes the proposedCommission definitionaction ofplan against cyberbullying inas thea Commission’sframework actionto plan,tackle ascyberbullying, thisincluding wouldits enableproposed itsdefinition enabling coherent statistical assessment and the exchange of best practicespractice, acrossand Memberthe States;stricter implementation and enforcement of current legislation;

7. Reiterates its call, as reflected in the cyberbullying action plan, on Member States to establish comprehensive national anti-bullying plans, including those that address cyberbullying;

2. Welcomes the focus of the action plan against cyberbullying on prevention and digital literacy as effective long-term tools; calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in age-appropriate digital education and media literacy, in order to ensure that these resources reach children in all socio-economic contexts;

8. Welcomes the preventive measures announced in the cyberbullying action plan, in particular the Commission’s commitment to expand cyberbullying resources and training for both schools and non-formal and informal education;

3. Reiterates its call on the Member States to establish comprehensive national anti-cyberbullying plans and to provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for cyberbullying offences, taking into account the seriousness of the conduct and the vulnerability of the victim;

9.4. Believes that victims should be able to report cyberbullying easily; welcomesin thean onlineeasy safetyway; appnotes forthat the easyaction reportingplan ofagainst cyberbullying,cyberbullying asprovides setfor outan inonline thesafety cyberbullyingapp actionagainst plan;cyberbullying, welcomesas thea approachuser-friendly ofand promotingEU-wide coherentinteroperable reporting,reporting coordinatedmechanism, multidisciplinaryto onlinecentralise andreporting, offlinecoordinated support services and the secure collection of evidence in preparation for criminal proceedings;evidence;

Criminal law

10. Notes that the cyberbullying action plan does not set out measures in the field of criminal law at EU level;

5. Expresses concern that despite the legislative and policy measures taken at EU and national level, cyberbullying and image- or video-based abuse are continuing to increase across the EU, indicating that existing instruments, including obligations under the DSA and harmonisation under the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, may not be sufficient to address the full scale and severity of the problem;

11. Takes note of the various laws in Member States that address cyberbullying, even though the term ‘cyberbullying’ often does not appear in those laws;

6. Notes that the action plan against cyberbullying does not provide for measures in the field of criminal law at EU level;

12. Takes note of the measures in several Member States to address cyberbullying in their criminal codes, such as:

7. Invites the Commission to assess the need for a more harmonised approach at EU level to define cyberbullying; invites the Commission to examine whether cyberbullying, including the non-consensual dissemination of intimate material, should be recognised as a particularly serious crime with a cross-border dimension at EU level; reiterates its support for adding hate crime, which could cover the most severe forms of cyberbullying, to the list of EU crimes under Article 83(1) TFEU;

a. Ireland’s Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 (‘Coco’s Law’); notes that the Act provides for two offences, namely the non-consensual recording, distribution or publication of intimate images (so-called revenge porn), and the distribution, publication or sending of threatening or grossly offensive communications or messages with the intent to cause harm;

8. Highlights that well-resourced law enforcement authorities, including adequate staffing, technical expertise and IT infrastructure, are an indispensable part of effectively tackling cyberbullying; invites the Commission and Europol to increase the investigative capacities of Member States, including for combating cross-border cyberbullying;

b. France’s legislation dealing with cases of ‘revenge porn’, as provided for in Articles 226-1 and 226-2 of the Penal Code;

9. Invites the Member States to share best practice on their legal approaches; emphasises that efforts should prioritise prevention, education and awareness-raising measures targeting children, parents and educators, as well as digital literacy and restorative approaches, particularly when minors are involved;

c. Austria’s amendment of its Criminal Code of January 2016, which under Article 107c entitled ‘Continuous harassment by means of telecommunications or a computer system’, introduced cyberbullying as a punishable offence;

10. Calls for the swift implementation and transposition of the revised Victims’ Rights Directive;

d. Romania’s Law no 106/2020, amending and supplementing Law no 217/2003 on preventing and combating domestic violence, which introduces the concept of ‘cyber violence’ within the sphere of ‘domestic violence’; notes that it covers ‘any (...) form of misuse of information and communication technology (...) in order to shame, humiliate, scare, threaten or silence the victim’;

Online platforms and the DSA

e. Slovakia’s amendment of 27 May 2021 to the Criminal Code, which defines ‘dangerous online bullying’ as conduct aimed at damaging the identity of the person in question;

11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that platforms are held accountable to prevent and counter cyberbullying;

13. Takes note of other Member States where there is no special criminal offence of ‘cyberbullying’, but where measures were taken under civil or other laws, including education codes;

12. Points out that the business model of certain online platforms incentivises the spread of hateful content and therefore contributes to an increasingly unsafe online environment, particularly for minors, women and members of the LGBTIQ+ community or other minorities; highlights the role of hyper-personalised recommender systems that push hate speech and down-rank less divisive content;

14. Takes note of these different approaches in Member States; invites those Member States to share best practices and experience regarding their legal approaches;

13. Underlines that the DSA addresses some aspects of harassment and cyberbullying, in particular Article 28 thereof, which already obliges providers to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors; highlights, in this regard, the Commission guidelines under the DSA, which specify how platforms can ensure that minors are safe when using their services; notes that very large online platforms have, to a considerable extent, failed to implement these measures; calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up enforcement of Article 28 DSA and of the notice and action provision of the DSA, which impacts the protection of victims of cyberbullying;

15. Highlights that, complementary to appropriate legislation, well-resourced law enforcement authorities, including adequate staffing, technical expertise and IT infrastructure, are an indispensable part of effectively tackling cyberbullying; invites the Commission and Europol to undertake necessary measures to increase the investigative capacities of Member States in this regard, including in combating cross-border cyberbullying;

14. Calls on the Commission to conclude pending enforcement cases, open investigations into any violations of Article 28 DSA, including systemic risks posed by recommender systems, and rigorously enforce the notice and takedown obligation of platforms; strongly rejects any attempts to reopen the DSA; points out that access for researchers under the DSA is crucial to ensure evidence-based lawmaking;

16. Asks the Commission to follow up on its announcement to consider a legislative initiative for a more harmonised approach; reiterates its support for adding hate crime and hate speech to the list of EU crimes under Article 83(1) TFEU, which could cover the most severe forms of cyberbullying;

15. Calls on the Commission to follow up on its announced guidelines for trusted flaggers on cyberbullying, in order to clarify their role in tackling illegal content;

Online platforms and the Digital Services Act

16. Regrets the current lack of a legal framework to allow for the detection of child sexual abuse material online and calls on the Commission to take swift action to ensure that voluntary reporting mechanisms of child sexual abuse material are put in place; underlines the obligations of platforms to ensure a safe digital space for children that respects their fundamental rights and data privacy for every user;

17. Points out that the business model of online platforms incentivises the spread of hateful content and therefore contributes to an increasingly unsafe environment online, in particular for minors, women, members of the LGBTIQ+ community and other minorities; highlights the role of hyper-personalised recommender systems that push hate speech and down-rank less divisive content;

18. Underlines that the DSA, specifically the guidelines on Article 28, address many measures to counter harassment and cyberbullying such as the adaptation of recommender systems, effective 24/7 moderation, the prioritisation of content reports concerning minors, and measures that shield users from content, such as the requirement of consent before being added to a group or the option to restrict comments;

19. Welcomes the recommendation in the guidelines for platforms to refer users to national support lines and display warning messages;

20. Calls on the Commission to reinforce platforms obligations, including an obligation for platforms to include educational content on digital empathy and digital literacy at regular intervals;

21. Notes that there is an enforcement deficit of Article 28 of the DSA and the notice-and-takedown obligation of platforms, which impacts the protection of victims of cyberbullying;

22. Calls for the rigorous enforcement of Article 28 of the DSA and the notice-and-takedown obligation of platforms; calls on the Commission to open further investigations into systemic risks posed by recommender systems, particularly in relation to gender-based violence, harm to minors and discrimination;

23. Points out that access for researchers to platform data under the DSA is crucial to ensure evidence-based lawmaking; laments that issues persist and need to be urgently brought into compliance;

24. Is concerned that the recently announced ‘dialogue’ on the enforcement of digital legislation as part of the trade negotiations with the Trump administration may put rigorous and independent enforcement action at risk and lower the protection afforded under the DSA and the Digital Markets Act; highlights that this may also impact the protection of victims of cyberbullying; calls on the Commission to urgently clarify that the enforcement of digital laws is not subject to trade-offs for lower tariffs or other trade benefits;

25. Recalls that, according to case-law of the European Convention on Human Rights, the sanctioning or even prevention of all forms of expression that spread, incite, promote or justify hatred does not constitute a violation of freedom of expression, provided that those measures are proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued;

Other measures

26. Recalls that the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive contains certain obligations on video-sharing platforms to protect minors from harmful content and all users from content inciting violence or hatred; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the directive by the Member States, especially in this regard;

17. Expresses concern about the growing use of AI for abusive purposes, including generating deepfakes, voice cloning and non-consensual intimate content; reiterates the need to ban ‘nudifier applications’ under the AI Act as part of the AI omnibus negotiations; calls on providers to comply, without delay, with Article 50 of the AI Act on transparency and watermarking, so as to ensure that AI-generated content is clearly labelled to mitigate the harmful impact of deepfakes, most notably on minors;

27. Recalls, in this regard, the need to strengthen the protection of victims and invest in psychological and legal assistance for victims of harassment and cyberbullying; is concerned that victims organisations are increasingly under threat due to a lack of funding or attacks from non-EU countries, as recent cases involving the Trump administration highlight; calls for the swift implementation and transposition of the revised Victims’ Rights Directive;

18. Calls on the Commission to assess whether existing risk assessment and mitigation obligations under EU law adequately cover online gaming operators, in particular those offering real-time communication features that may expose minors to cyberbullying;

28. Expresses concern about the growing use of AI for abusive purposes, including the generation of deepfake content, voice cloning, impersonation and non-consensual intimate content in digital environments, which can facilitate coordinated harassment, identity theft, reputational damage and psychological harm;

19. Recalls the obligations under the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive to protect minors from illegal and harmful content and all users from content inciting violence or hatred; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of this directive by the Member States;

29. Welcomes the efforts of Parliament and the Council to ban ‘nudifier applications’ under the Artificial Intelligence Act as part of the Digital Omnibus on AI negotiations;

20. Recalls the need to strengthen protection of and support for victims of cyberbullying; is concerned that victims’ organisations are increasingly under threat owing to a lack of funding; calls for increased and sustainable EU funding for civil society organisations, helplines and victim support services, and for the integration of cyberbullying prevention and response measures into national mental health strategies, with particular attention to minors and other vulnerable groups;

30. Calls for the integration of cyberbullying prevention and response measures into national mental health strategies, including accessible psychological support services for victims, with particular attention to minors and other vulnerable groups;

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31. Calls for increased and sustainable EU funding for civil society organisations, including helplines, victim support services and awareness-raising initiatives, which play a key role in addressing cyberbullying and supporting victims across the Member States;

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32. Calls on the Commission to further develop user-friendly and accessible reporting mechanisms, including a possible EU-wide interface, ensuring that victims of cyberbullying can easily report harmful content and receive timely support;

21. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

33. Instructs it President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.