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

B100235/2026

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 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),

– 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 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 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),

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

– 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 Commission communication of 5 March 2026 entitled ‘Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030’ (COM(2026)0113),

– having regard to Ireland’s Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 (‘Coco’s Law’),

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

– 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 Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

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;

B. whereas cyberbullying is a growing phenomenon, enabled by digital technologies and characterised by the rapid and widespread dissemination of harmful content;

C. 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;

D. whereas the evidence available indicates that the prevalence and severity of cyberbullying are continuing to increase across the EU and have reached alarming levels, despite the existing legislative and policy initiatives;

E. whereas the data available indicate that approximately one in six adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, while one in eight acknowledge having engaged in such behaviour, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent, address and mitigate the harmful effects of cyberbullying across the Member States;

F. whereas cyberbullying frequently occurs through 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;

G. whereas the Commission’s February 2026 action plan against cyberbullying is an important step towards strengthening prevention, coordination and support mechanisms, particularly through the implementation of existing instruments such as the Digital Services Act;

H. whereas, however, the current EU framework relies predominantly on regulatory and soft-law approaches and does not sufficiently address serious forms of online abuse through harmonised criminal law provisions;

I. whereas gaps persist in national and EU law regarding the prevention of and response to the publication or transmission of threatening or grossly offensive communications, which is a prevalent form of cyberbullying;

J. 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;

K. whereas recent national legislation, such as Ireland’s ‘Coco’s Law’, has demonstrated that targeted criminal provisions can effectively address harmful online behaviour, including the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and serious online harassment;

L. whereas image- or video-based abuse, including non-consensually publishing or distributing intimate material or threatening to distribute or publish such material, may constitute a particularly serious form of crime with a cross-border dimension;

M. whereas the effective protection of victims requires not only prevention and awareness, but also swift enforcement, access to justice and adequate support mechanisms;

N. whereas the cross-border nature of digital services and online platforms enables harmful content to be disseminated rapidly across jurisdictions, thereby complicating enforcement and necessitating coordinated action at EU level;

O. whereas AI-generated content, including deepfakes, poses new challenges for the protection of victims, as it is more difficult to identify perpetrators, remove harmful material and ensure effective legal remedies;

P. whereas research shows that cyberbullying is not gender-neutral, and AI is giving it a new, dangerous dimension, with women and children being the primary targets;

1. Welcomes the Commission’s February 2026 action plan against cyberbullying as an important step towards a more coordinated European response;

2. Expresses concern that despite the legislative and policy measures taken so far at EU and national levels, cyberbullying and image- or video-based abuse are continuing to increase across the EU, indicating that existing instruments, including obligations under the Digital Services Act 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;

3. Calls on the Commission to assess, as a matter of priority, whether the current EU legal framework leaves significant gaps in addressing cyberbullying and image-based abuse, in particular with regard to criminal law provisions;

4. Calls on the Commission to consider further harmonisation at EU level, including the establishment of minimum rules, under Article 83(1) TFEU, concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions for cyberbullying;

5. Calls on the Commission to conduct an assessment of whether the approximation of criminal laws with respect to cyberbullying is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of a safe digital space that respects citizens’ and consumers’ fundamental rights – a key objective of the Digital Services Act – and would therefore fulfil the conditions set out in Article 83(2) TFEU for the harmonisation of criminal laws;

6. Calls on the Member States to provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for cyberbullying offences, taking into account the seriousness and repeated nature of the conduct and the vulnerability of the victim;

7. Invites the Commission to examine whether image- or video-based abuse, including the non-consensual dissemination of intimate material, should be recognised as a particularly serious crime with a cross-border dimension at EU level;

8. Encourages the Commission to explore the development of a comprehensive EU legislative initiative, building on best practice from Member States, including Ireland’s ‘Coco’s Law’, with a view to ensuring a uniform, high level of protection throughout the EU;

9. Calls on the Commission to step up its enforcement of the Digital Services Act in order to protect minors and safeguard mental well-being;

10. 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;

11. Calls on the Commission to build on the definition of cyberbullying set out in the action plan against cyberbullying and to reflect it in future EU legislation in order to ensure legal clarity, effective enforcement and equal protection of victims throughout the EU;

12. Supports the development of coordinated national strategies on the basis of common definitions and standards, including improved reporting mechanisms, support for victims, prevention measures and data collection;

13. Considers the non-consensual sharing of intimate images of minors a serious sexual abuse crime that should be prevented and addressed at EU level; regrets the current lack of a legal framework to allow for the voluntary detection of child sexual abuse material online and calls for swift action at EU level to restore proportionate measures for its detection and for the prevention of its dissemination; underlines the obligation of platforms to ensure a safe digital space for children that respects their fundamental rights;

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen preventive measures, including digital literacy, education and awareness-raising initiatives targeting children, parents and educators;

15. Calls on the Commission to ensure that victims of cyberbullying, in particular minors, have access to effective remedies, including rapid content removal, access to justice and appropriate psychological support;

16. Supports the development of accessible, user-friendly and EU-wide interoperable reporting tools and support mechanisms, enabling victims to report incidents, preserve evidence and access assistance in a timely manner;

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