On the need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment

B100206/2026

European Parliament resolution 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 the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular Article 83(1) thereof,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Articles 1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 24 and 47 thereof,

– having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation),

– having regard to Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA,

– 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) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) in view of changing market realities,

– 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),

– 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) 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 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 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)6826),

– 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’ and the proposal for a Council Decision annexed thereto (COM(2021)0777),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 10 February 2026 entitled ‘Action Plan against cyberbullying “Safer online, stronger together“’ (COM(2026)0071),

– having regard to the 2025 report by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre entitled ‘Cyberbullying: Insights from science, policy and legislation’,

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

– having regard to its resolution of 29 April 2021 on the European Child Guarantee,

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

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

A. whereas cyberbullying has become a growing issue, with EU-wide research indicating that 24 % of adolescents aged 12-17 have faced cyberbullying; whereas girls, young women, and vulnerable groups, such as children from low-income households, children with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities and young LGBTIQ+ people, experience disproportionately higher rates of severe cyberbullying, with 40 % of LGBTIQ+ teenagers reporting targeted harassment; whereas 1 in 8 children admit to cyberbullying others;

B. whereas cyberbullying affects a significant portion of young people, often through insulting messages, the spreading of humiliating images or videos and other forms of online abuse;

C. whereas according to various studies, about 1 in 10 children become victims of cyberbullying every month, and cyberbullying rates have increased in nearly all EU countries in recent years;

D. whereas the majority of children indicated that cyberbullying was one of the biggest challenges to their mental health;

E. whereas cyberbullying is further aggravated by the specific features of the digital environment;

F. whereas the consequences of cyberbullying have a severe and long-lasting impact on the mental health and overall well-being of victims; whereas victims of cyberbullying are at increased risk of experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-harm and suicidal tendencies;

G. whereas the 2025 Eurobarometer on Digital Safety 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;

H. whereas in its resolution of 29 April 2021 on the European Child Guarantee, Parliament called upon the Member States to develop specific strategies to protect children from cyberbullying and child sexual abuse and to conduct information campaigns on better protection of children online;

I. whereas the President of the European Commission announced in her 2025 State of the Union speech that she would commission a panel of experts to advise on the best approach for Europe on child safety online and potential age limits for social media; whereas there have been two meetings of this panel to date and work is under way on a holistic approach to strengthen children’s protection online; whereas by the summer of 2026, the two co-chairs of the expert panel will present their findings and recommendations to the President;

J. whereas several Member States have introduced targeted criminal provisions addressing cyberbullying;

K. whereas Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence includes key provisions to address forms of online gender-based violence, such as Article 5 on the non-consensual sharing of intimate or manipulated materials, Article 6 on cyber stalking, Article 7 on cyber harassment and Article 8 on cyber incitement to violence or hatred, thereby establishing minimum rules on certain serious manifestations of cyber violence;

L. whereas the Digital Services Act (DSA) includes key provisions to ensure better protection of minors, such as Article 14(3), Article 28, Article 34(1)(d), Article 35(1)(j) and Article 44(1)(j), thus addressing some aspects of cyberbullying; whereas the Commission 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, further clarify the rules on the protection of minors online;

Criminal law

1. Points out that there is no commonly agreed definition of cyberbullying at EU or international level; calls on the Commission to develop a clear, evidence-based definition of cyberbullying;

2. Invites the Commission to assess the need for a more harmonised approach at EU level, including the possibility of adding it as an ‘EU crime’ under Article 83(1) TFEU;

3. Highlights that cyberbullying motivated by bias or discrimination should be explicitly addressed under any EU hate crime framework, paying particular attention to its impacts on minors and vulnerable groups; reiterates the urgent call for the Member States to reach a consensus on adding ‘hate crime’ to the list of EU crimes, given that cyberbullying could be deemed to be covered under such a hate crime provision; notes that the cyberbullying action plan does not include possible future measures in the area of criminal law at EU level;

4. Calls on the Commission to assess the need for targeted criminal provisions to address gaps in current legislation, particularly regarding the misuse of AI tools (e.g. deepfake technology) to facilitate cyberbullying;

5. Takes note that several Member States currently have measures in their criminal codes to address cyberbullying, such as:

a. Ireland’s Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act of 2020, known as ‘Coco’s Law’; takes note that two offences are provided for in the Act, namely 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;

b. Articles 226-1 and 226-2 of France’s Penal Code, which address cases of ‘revenge porn’;

c. Article 107c of Austria’s Criminal Code, as amended in January 2016, which makes ‘continuous harassment by means of telecommunications or a computer system’ a punishable offence;

d. Romania’s Law no 106/2020, amending Law no 217/2003 on preventing and combating domestic violence, which introduces the concept of cyber violence in 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’;

e. Slovakia’s amendment of 27 May 2021 to the Criminal Code, which defines ‘dangerous online harassment’, which is linked to the aim of damaging the identity of the person in question;

6. Takes note of other Member States where there is currently no dedicated offence in criminal law for cyberbullying, but where measures have been introduced in civil or other laws, including education codes;

7. Invites the Member States to share their best practices on addressing cyberbullying through civil and criminal law, with a focus on protecting vulnerable groups;

8. Urges the Commission to prioritise the protection of minors and the development of child-centred and evidence-based policies in any harmonised approach, ensuring that children’s right to privacy, safety and mental well-being are central to EU-level action;

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

The cyberbullying action plan

10. Notes that the recently released cyberbullying action plan establishes a comprehensive framework to address the issue of cyberbullying; emphasises in this context the Commission’s newly published guidelines under the DSA on the protection of minors online, which outline how platforms can ensure the safety of minors using their services;

11. Calls for the Commission to regularly review and update these guidelines to address evolving risks and new market practices, including the algorithmic amplification of illegal and harmful content and manipulative design practices;

12. Welcomes the more rigorous application and enforcement of current legislation, as set out in the cyberbullying action plan; reiterates the call, reflected in the action plan, for Member States to put in place comprehensive national strategies to combat bullying, including cyberbullying;

13. Stresses that these plans should include evidence-based measures to address the mental health impacts of excessive screen time and addictive algorithms;

14. Welcomes the preventive steps outlined in the cyberbullying action plan, in particular the Commission’s intention to broaden resources and training on cyberbullying for schools, as well as for non-formal and informal educational settings;

15. Calls for these measures to be complemented by mandatory media and digital literacy programmes in national curricula, empowering children to critically navigate digital environments and recognise risks such as cyberbullying, misinformation and manipulative design;

16. Stresses the importance of such prevention and response tools, including prevention campaigns, awareness-raising and educational programmes and resources, training for teachers and families, and peer support structures, such as anti-bullying programmes; underlines the value of interactive platforms and counselling services that provide young people with safe spaces to discuss their online experiences, seek guidance and receive professional support when needed, thereby helping to develop resilience, empathy and responsible online behaviour;

17. Takes note of the online safety app included in the cyberbullying action plan that aims to make it easier to report cyberbullying;

18. Urges the Commission to ensure that such tools are child-friendly, accessible and integrated with broader efforts to promote digital well-being, including age-appropriate screen time guidelines and well-being nudges;

Online platforms and the Digital Services Act

19. Underlines that the DSA, by requiring online platforms that are accessible to minors to put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure that minors using their services enjoy a high level of privacy, safety and security, can effectively contribute to addressing many aspects of harassment and cyberbullying, particularly in respect of minors; stresses the importance of the swift implementation and effective and consistent enforcement of the DSA provisions, especially those concerning minors, to achieve the objective of guaranteeing a safe online environment for minors;

20. Highlights that the full implementation of the DSA at national level and effective cooperation between the Commission and all the relevant national authorities is essential to achieve harmonised enforcement across the EU; notes the ongoing investigations concerning the protection of minors online and calls on the Commission to urgently conclude these investigations and to take any additional step needed in accordance with the DSA rules; strongly rejects any attempts by non-EU countries to weaken the DSA enforcement actions and reaffirms that the EU has full sovereignty to establish and enforce its own rules;

21. Points out that access for researchers under the DSA is crucial to ensure evidence-based lawmaking;

22. Welcomes, in this regard, the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, which should strengthen the protection of minors online by addressing the proven legal gaps;

Other measures

23. Recalls that the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) contains certain obligations for video-sharing platforms to protect minors from harmful content and all users from content inciting violence or hatred; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the AVMSD by the Member States; recalls that the AVMSD is due to be revised again in 2026; calls for robust provisions addressing cyberbullying to be incorporated into the updated text;

24. Urges the Member States to allocate targeted funding under the next multiannual financial framework to support victims’ organisations, mental health research and digital literacy programmes;

25. Welcomes the ongoing efforts, as part of the AI omnibus negotiations, to add two additional prohibited AI practices under Article 5 of the Artificial Intelligence Act in order to ban the placing in the market, putting into service or the use of AI systems that generate or manipulate child sexual abuse material and AI systems that generate or manipulate non-consensual intimate images, videos, audio and similar material; stresses that these are important elements in the set of measures needed to tackle cyberbullying;

26. Calls on providers to comply without delay with the obligations set out in Article 50 of the Artificial Intelligence Act, in particular those relating to transparency and watermarking, so as to ensure that AI-generated content is clearly labelled in order to mitigate the harmful impact of deepfakes presented as authentic, most notably on minors; supports the development of an EU-wide framework on influencer marketing, particularly concerning parent-influencers and child-influencers, to improve transparency and protect children from exploitative practices;

27. Calls for the Member States to strengthen media literacy initiatives, integrating digital literacy into school curricula from an early age and providing training for parents, educators and caregivers to guide children in navigating digital environments responsibly;

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