Sittings · Document

DRAFT OPINION (2025/2060(INI)) 2025-06-24

On protection of minors online

Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Ivaylo Valchev

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Culture and Education submits the following to the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, as the committee responsible :

Amendment 1

Motion for a resolution

Citation -1 (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to Articles 114 and 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Or. en

Amendment 2

Motion for a resolution

Citation -1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’),

Or. en

Amendment 3

Motion for a resolution

Citation -1 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989,

Or. en

Amendment 4

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– 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)1a,
	_________________
	1a OJ L 95, 15.4.2010, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/13/oj.

Or. en

Amendment 5

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– 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) and its first evaluation1a,
	_________________
	1a European Schoolnet, prepared for the European Commission, Verdoodt, V., Lievens, E., O’Neill, B. & Dopona, V., First evaluation of the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+): A summary of consultations with children, young people, expert stakeholders, teachers, and parents, May 2025.

Or. en

Amendment 6

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Council conclusions of 26 May 2025 on the assessment of the legal framework for audiovisual media services and video-sharing platform services1a,
	_________________
	1a OJ C, C/2025/2954, 26.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2954/oj.

Or. en

Amendment 7

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the study requested by Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education entitled ‘The influence of social media on the development of children and young people’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies in February 20231a,
	_________________
	1a Study – ‘The influence of social media on the development of children and young people’, European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, February 2023.

Or. en

Amendment 8

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Commission communication of 9 March 2021 entitled ‘2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade’ (COM(2021)0118),

Or. en

Amendment 9

Motion for a resolution

Citation 5 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the report of May 2025 by the European Union Drugs Agency entitled ‘Key findings from the 2024 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD)’,

Or. en

Amendment 10

Motion for a resolution

Recital A a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	A a. whereas the first evaluation of the BIK+ strategy highlights that young people and children have mentioned, as emerging risks, increased exposure to harmful content, such as explicit materials or hate speech, and falling victim to online scams like phishing attempts, as well as privacy violations, including hacking and misuse of personal data, mental health impacts and the monetisation of their online activities, and additionally indicated the need to enhance inclusivity and empower young users; whereas adults have raised concerns about young people and children’s exposure to cyberbullying, misinformation and screen time, stressing that more emphasis should be placed on educating adults on the topics of online safety, as parents and caregivers, and also teachers and educators, often feel underprepared to meet the evolving challenges posed by rapid digital change, particularly around social media, AI and algorithmic content exposure;

Or. en

Amendment 11

Motion for a resolution

Recital A b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	A b. whereas the ESPAD report frames online protection as part of the safeguarding of adolescent mental health, highlighting that the online environment is not just a technological space, but also a social and emotional space; whereas this report shows clear links between problematic digital behaviour, such as exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying and excessive screen time, and increased levels of anxiety, loneliness and sleep difficulties among 15 to 16-year-olds;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Motion for a resolution

Recital C a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	C a. whereas the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) recognises that minors deserve specific protection with regard to their online experience in a constantly evolving digital environment and brings additional value, complementing the Digital Services Act, by providing specific rules that apply to all sizes of providers determining what audiovisual content – both editorial content and audiovisual commercial communication – can be harmful to minors;

Or. en

Amendment 13

Motion for a resolution

Recital C b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	C b. whereas the Commission is to submit an ex post evaluation of the impact of the AVMSD and its added value, accompanied, where appropriate, by proposals for its forthcoming review;

Or. en

Amendment 14

Motion for a resolution

Recital E a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E a. whereas ensuring appropriate protection for young people and children online requires specific measures and education programmes targeting not only young people and children, but also their teachers, parents and caregivers; whereas these measures should primarily seek to develop and implement prevention techniques, and awareness-raising and digital literacy campaigns; whereas parents and caregivers should be informed of the existence and functioning of digital tools to limit and direct their child’s/children’s experience online and restrict access to age-inappropriate or harmful content online;

Or. en

Amendment 15

Motion for a resolution

Recital E b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E b. whereas young people and children should not be passive technology consumers, but rather should be actively in charge of the technologies they use; whereas, in this regard, promoting digital education and enhancing young people and children’s digital skills and competences, including media literacy, particularly among young people and children from vulnerable groups, as well as the digital skills and competences of parents and educators, in line with the Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles1a, the 2030 Digital Compass and the BIK+ strategy, which are key to ensuring safe digital experiences for young people and children, as well as their digital empowerment and active participation online;
	_________________
	1a European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade (OJ C 23, 23.1.2023, p. 1).

Or. en

Amendment 16

Motion for a resolution

Recital E c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E c. whereas the online protection of minors should not only focus on preventing harm, but should also include proactive exposure to enriching, diverse and culturally relevant content; whereas empowering young people and children in the digital world is not only a matter of safety, but also of citizenship;

Or. en

Amendment 17

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Calls on the Commission to put forward recommendations for effective age assurance or age verification mechanisms to protect minors online, in accordance with the DSA, as a first step, and to present appropriate legislative measures if necessary;	8. Calls on the Commission to put forward recommendations for effective age assurance or age verification mechanisms to protect minors online, in accordance with the DSA and the AVMSD, as a first step, and to present appropriate legislative measures if necessary; stresses the importance of involving young people, children, educators, researchers, mental health experts, and cultural and civil society organisations in the development and implementation processes to ensure a safer and more empowering online user experience; reiterates the importance of developing the EU Code of Conduct on age-appropriate design in a timely and easily applicable manner by ensuring its full alignment with the AVMSD and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)1a;
	_________________
	1a 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) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj).

Or. en

Amendment 18

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	8 a. Calls on the Member States to more strongly encourage child- and youth-friendly design, particularly in digital platforms used in schools, libraries and museums, including intuitive interfaces, default privacy protections and minimal exposure to addictive design features, especially in public service platforms and educational tools; calls for the development of voluntary, age-appropriate literacy tools that can help minors understand how algorithms work, how to critically assess digital content, and how to protect their data and well-being online;

Or. en

Amendment 19

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Stresses that the DSA requires online platforms to ensure that effective safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable groups, such as minors; highlights the fact that providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors may put in place parental control measures to allow parents and guardians to help protect minors against the risk of exposure to harmful content; emphasises that online platforms should not use these tools as a reason to transfer their responsibility to protect minors online to parents;	10. Stresses that the DSA requires online platforms to ensure that effective safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable groups, such as minors; highlights the fact that providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors may put in place parental control measures to allow parents and guardians to help protect minors against the risk of exposure to harmful content; underlines the obligation, under the GDPR, of social media platforms that rely on user consent to make reasonable efforts to verify parental consent before young people and children under the relevant age limit can create an account; emphasises that online platforms should not use these tools as a reason to transfer their responsibility to protect minors online to parents;

Or. en

Amendment 20

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Digital skills and competences, including media literacy

Or. en

Amendment 21

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	The role of education and culture

Or. en

Amendment 22

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 a. Emphasises that digital skills and competences, including media literacy, should be recognised as mandatory skills and should be included in the school curriculum across the EU; underlines that they are an essential part of education and lifelong learning and should focus on educating young people and children, parents, carers, educators and the general public on online safety, including on online parental control and how to recognise and report the online solicitation of children;

Or. en

Amendment 23

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 b. Calls for the EU and the Member States to allocate more investment to education and training to ensure digital literacy for young people and children of different age groups, including protection from peer-to-peer online bullying and cyberbullying in and outside of school, while taking into account new technological developments, such as the metaverse;

Or. en

Amendment 24

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 c. Calls on the Commission to support the Member States in exchanging best practices on how to promote initiatives that integrate digital and media literacy into educational curricula, focusing on safe and responsible online behaviour, in order to equip minors with the skills necessary to critically evaluate online content, including how to identify credible sources of information and effectively manage online privacy, and also to educate them on the responsible use of emerging technologies; calls on the Commission to facilitate cooperation, in this regard, between the Member States, setting high standards and establishing funding initiatives that promote safe and empowering digital experiences for all young people and children across Europe;

Or. en

Amendment 25

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 d. Calls on digital platforms to publish simplified terms and conditions and privacy policies, as well as clearer instructions on how to report harmful content, including creating more child-friendly reporting processes and interfaces, offering step-by-step tutorials for younger users and ensuring timely and detailed feedback after a report is filed, and to offer more precise, explicit and clear-cut guidance on online safety;

Or. en

Amendment 26

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Cultural preservation

Or. en

Amendment 27

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 e. Urges digital platforms to promote educational materials and cultural diversity, particularly from European creators and public institutions, and to protect minors from culturally insensitive content;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Involving young people and children

Or. en

Amendment 29

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 f. Calls on the Commission to ensure that new initiatives are consistent with existing priorities and legislative proposals, that information is presented in child-friendly language, that young people and children of all ages are involved in their monitoring processes and effective implementation, and that there is adequate follow-up to compare best practices and results across the Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 30

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 g (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 g. Stresses that access to safe and enriching digital environments should not be a privilege for some, but a right for all; calls on the Commission to ensure that inclusive digital access, particularly for young people and children in rural areas and from minority backgrounds or with disabilities, is guaranteed in all relevant proposals;

Or. en

Amendment 31

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 3 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	AVMSD revision

Or. en

Amendment 32

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 h (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 h. Calls on the Commission to clarify whether the AVMSD definitions cover all relevant services providing audiovisual media content, in particular as regards specific groups of content creators on video-sharing platforms (VSPs) such as ‘influencers’, along with audiovisual content on channels of messaging applications;

Or. en

Amendment 33

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 i (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 i. Calls on the Commission to examine whether, in view of evolving market realities and changing consumption habits, the existing rules still adequately ensure a high level of digital protection of minors;

Or. en

Amendment 34

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 j (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 j. Calls on the Commission to examine the coherence and clarity of the application of the DSA and the AVMSD for audiovisual content as regards the protection of minors, in order to ensure an adequate level of protection on video-sharing platforms (VSPs);

Or. en

Amendment 35

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 k (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 k. Highlights the need for closer and more effective cross-border cooperation between the Member States on the digital protection of minors, in particular by enhancing the ability of all competent bodies to deal effectively with identified violations in relation to the AVMSD, and lack of application of measures in the case of VSP services;

Or. en

Amendment 36

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11 l (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	11 l. Stresses the need for dialogue and cooperation across the EU, in particular between the Member States, non-governmental entities and researchers, in order to gather knowledge and best practices on the effective protection of minors;

Or. en

Amendment 37

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14 a. Underlines the lack of sufficient comparative research at EU level, as well as studies on youth and children’s development in the context of digitalisation; highlights, in this regard, that the fast-paced development of technologies may rapidly overtake policies, thus creating new vulnerabilities for young people and children; recalls, therefore, the need to develop large-scale research activities at EU level and to develop longitudinal research into the long-term effects of the digital transformation on young people and children;

Or. en