Sittings · Document

OPINION (2025/2081(INI)) 2026-02-27

On the impact of social media and the online environment on young people

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: Laura Ballarín Cereza

AMENDMENTS

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

Amendment 1

Motion for a resolution

Citation 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989,	– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989 and to General Comment No. 25 (2021) of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child of 2 March 2021 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment,

Amendment 2

Motion for a resolution

Citation 1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the UN General Assembly resolution of 19 December 2023 on the rights of the child, which focuses on the rights of the child in the digital environment,

Amendment 3

Motion for a resolution

Citation 2

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

Amendment 4

Motion for a resolution

Citation 3

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter),	– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter), in particular Article 24 thereof, which recognises children’s rights to protection, to have their best interests put at the centre of policymaking and to have their views taken into consideration in all matters that affect them,

Amendment 5

Motion for a resolution

Citation 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2006/20041a, 1a OJ L 345, 27.12.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/2394/oj.

Amendment 6

Motion for a resolution

Citation 7 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as regards establishing the European Digital Identity Framework1a, 1a OJ L, 2024/1183, 30.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1183/oj.

Amendment 7

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 12 December 2023 on addictive design of online services and consumer protection in the EU single market1a,
	__________________
	1a OJ C, C/2024/4164, 2.8.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4164/oj.

Amendment 8

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 10 November 2022 on esports and video games1a,
	__________________
	1a OJ C 161, 5.5.2023, p. 2.

Amendment 9

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2023 on consumer protection in online video games: a European single market approach1a,
	__________________
	1a OJ C 214, 16.6.2023, p. 15.

Amendment 10

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 3 October 2024 entitled ‘Executive summary of the fitness check of EU consumer law on digital fairness’ (SWD(2024)0231),

Amendment 11

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe entitled ‘Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment’, adopted on 4 July 2018,

Amendment 12

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Recommendation of the Council on Children in the Digital Environment, amended in 2021,

Amendment 13

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 g (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024 (Volume 1), published on 14 May 2024, particularly the ‘spotlight’ chapter thereof on mental health and digital environments,

Amendment 14

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 h (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the EU strategy on the rights of the child, which recognises the importance of good mental health for children’s development,

Amendment 15

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 i (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 17 January 2024 on virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market1a, 1a OJ C, C/2024/5723, 17.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5723/oj.

Amendment 16

Motion for a resolution

Citation 16 j (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2025 on the protection of minors online1a, 1a Texts adopted, P10_TA(2025)0299.

Amendment 17

Motion for a resolution

Recital A

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
A. whereas global screen time data from 2025 shows that teenagers aged 11-14 spend around 9 hours per day on screens, that children aged 8-10 spend around 6 hours per day on screens, and that one in five children aged 8-12 report using screens for over 8 hours daily;	A. whereas global screen time data from 2025 shows that teenagers aged 11-14 spend around 9 hours per day on screens, that children aged 8-10 spend around 6 hours per day on screens, and that one in five children aged 8-12 report using screens for over 8 hours daily, instead of actively interacting with friends, family and the offline world; whereas prolonged exposure to digital environments and devices may also lead to reduced physical activity and poor eating habits, thus worsening their overall well-being;

Amendment 18

Motion for a resolution

Recital A a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Aa. whereas according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 11 % of adolescents show signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use of it and experiencing negative consequences1a,
	__________________
	1a Boniel-Nissim, M., Marino, C., Galeotti, T., Blinka, L., Ozoliņa, K. et al., A focus on adolescent social media use and gaming in Europe, central Asia and Canada – Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey, World Health Organization, 2024.

Amendment 19

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
B. whereas social media use among children in the EU aged 9-16 has more than doubled since 2010, now averaging 3 hours per day, with over 80 % using social media platforms daily, making online interaction a central part of their everyday lives;	B. whereas social media use among minors in the EU aged 9-16 has more than doubled since 2010, now averaging 3 hours per day, with over 80 % using social media platforms daily, making online interaction a central part of their everyday lives;

Amendment 20

Motion for a resolution

Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ba. whereas in 2024, the share of young people using the internet daily in the EU was 97 % on average; whereas in 2024, 87 % of young people aged 16-19 in the EU used social networks, compared to 63 % of the total population;

Amendment 21

Motion for a resolution

Recital B b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Bb. whereas in OECD countries, on average, 95 % of 15-year-olds browse the internet for fun, and 96 % report browsing social networks; whereas most 15-year-olds also use digital devices for communicating and sharing digital content (88 %), seeking practical information (84 %) or playing video games (83 %)1a;
	__________________
	9e ‘How’s Life for Children in the Digital Age?’, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2025.

Amendment 22

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
C. whereas social media exposes young users to a wide range of harmful content, including cyberbullying, sexualised material, disinformation, body image pressures, the promotion of self-harm, violence, extremism, non-consensual content and manipulative algorithm-driven advertising;	C. whereas social media exposes young users to a wide range of harmful content, including cyberbullying, sexualised material, disinformation, body image pressures, the promotion of self-harm, violence, extremism, non-consensual content and manipulative algorithm-driven advertising; whereas the spread of harmful content is often exacerbated by algorithms that can promote such content;

Amendment 23

Motion for a resolution

Recital C a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ca. whereas recent research indicates that engagement in digital self-harm significantly increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts1a; whereas research suggests that the ability to construct hyperrealistic bodies in the virtual world through avatars and filters has been associated with dissatisfaction with, and the distortion of, one’s body image, thus negatively affecting self-esteem1b;
	__________________
	1a OECD, ‘OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024 (Volume 1): Embracing the Technology Frontier’, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2024.
	1b Park, J. and Ogle, J.P., ‘How virtual avatar experience interplays with self-concepts: the use of anthropometric 3D body models in the visual stimulation process’, Fashion and Textiles, Vol. 8, 2021.

Amendment 24

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
D. whereas social media platform features are designed to maximise engagement, such as infinite scrolling and compulsive engagement with notifications, foster addictive use and may exacerbate mental health challenges, contributing to sleep disruption and emotional withdrawal;	D. whereas social media platform features, such as infinite scrolling, autoplay features and ‘nudging techniques’, may exploit the cognitive vulnerabilities of minors and are designed to maximise engagement and to foster addictive use; whereas this situation raises concerns about addiction and the long-term effects on minors’ physical and mental health, including anxiety and depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (such as compulsive buying among young adults), suicidal tendencies, eating disorders and problems resulting from a lack of sleep and sedentary behaviour, which potentially increase the risk of early neurodegeneration;

Amendment 25

Motion for a resolution

Recital D a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Da. whereas 97 % of the most popular websites and apps used by EU consumers employ at least one dark pattern1a; whereas minors are particularly vulnerable to such practices and to sharing personal data or making unintended online purchases;
	__________________
	1a SWD(2024)0231, p. 19.

Amendment 26

Motion for a resolution

Recital D b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Db. whereas unfair commercial practices cost consumers EUR 7.9 billion annually1a, with younger age groups experiencing the highest levels of consumer detriment; whereas the use of unfair techniques to pressurise consumers, especially vulnerable consumers and children, into impulse purchases leads to overconsumption and overspending; whereas the Commission has committed, in its mission letters and hearings, to proposing a Digital Fairness Act, which would tackle unethical techniques and commercial practices related to dark patterns, marketing by social media influencers, the addictive design of digital products and services, and online profiling, given that vulnerabilities of all consumers, including minors, are exploited for commercial purposes;
	__________________
	1a SWD(2024)0231.

Amendment 27

Motion for a resolution

Recital D c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Dc. whereas dark patterns and addictive designs, which are often intentionally crafted to manipulate consumer choices or prolong their engagement with platforms, may undermine consumer autonomy and trust; whereas these practices have far-reaching consequences, including financial losses, mental health concerns and the erosion of fair competition;

Amendment 28

Motion for a resolution

Recital D d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Dd. whereas recommender systems may exacerbate risks to minors’ privacy, safety and security online by, for example, amplifying content that can have a negative impact on minors’ health and well-being;

Amendment 29

Motion for a resolution

Recital E

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
E. whereas excessive social media use is associated with elevated risks of mental health issues in young people, such as depression and anxiety;	E. whereas commercial success and ethical app development are not mutually exclusive;

Amendment 30

Motion for a resolution

Recital F

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
F. whereas social media influencers significantly shape young people’s behaviours, consumption habits and opinions;	F. whereas social media influencers significantly affect and shape young people’s behaviours, consumption habits and opinions (such as influencers’ promotion of unhealthy food for children); whereas more and more minors are becoming content creators or ‘kidfluencers’, sometimes involving commercialisation or early public exposure, which can lead to exploitation without consent;

Amendment 31

Motion for a resolution

Recital G

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
G. whereas cyberbullying affects a significant portion of young people;	G. whereas cyberbullying affects a significant portion of young people; whereas research shows that anonymity can make it easier for people to engage in aggressive behaviours; whereas these behaviours can lead to conflict, emotional distress and anger among minors1a;
	__________________
	1a Wachs, S., Wright, M. and Vazsonyi, A.T., ‘Understanding the overlap between cyberbullying and cyberhate perpetration: Moderating effects of toxic online disinhibition’, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Vol. 29, pp. 179-188, 5 July 2019.

Amendment 32

Motion for a resolution

Recital G a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ga. whereas minors are more vulnerable to AI-generated content, AI companions and chatbots, as their cognitive abilities are still developing; whereas AI tools are increasingly being integrated into the user experience of social media platforms, which may have a significant impact on the mental and physical health of minors and on the protection of their privacy, safety and security; whereas such tools are designed to be engaging and persuasive and can generate harmful and illegal content; whereas generative AI presents opportunities for young people, such as personalised learning and tools for supporting their creativity, but also poses serious risks to young people, such as the dissemination of disinformation and harmful and illegal content;

Amendment 33

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
H. whereas children below the official age limits hold social media accounts, often gaining access by misrepresenting their age to bypass social media platform restrictions;	H. whereas more than 90 % of Europeans believe that public authorities must take urgent action to protect children online, particularly concerning the negative impact of social media on children’s mental health (93 %), cyberbullying and online harassment (92 %), and the need to implement mechanisms to restrict age-inappropriate content (92 %)1a; whereas children below the official age limits hold social media accounts, often gaining access by misrepresenting their age to bypass social media platform restrictions; whereas providing young children with access to digital technologies, either too early and/or without proper supervision, may impair their cognitive and mental development1b; whereas at present, no EU legislation comprehensively addresses the protection of minors across the digital ecosystems; whereas minors should enjoy equal levels of protection regardless of where they live; whereas online platforms and applications have different purposes and services with various designs, interfaces and features, which can lead to different risks to minors, and, therefore, proportionality and risk-based assessments should be applied; whereas minors should enjoy a higher level of protection online, which requires a harmonised EU approach; whereas ensuring higher levels of protection of minors needs to be balanced with respecting their right to access information and participate in online communities; whereas several of the Member States have called for a common approach on digital majority and have already adopted national laws, in this respect;
	__________________
	1a European Union, ‘The Digital Decade 2025’, European Union website, June 2025.
	1b World Health Organization, ‘Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age’, World Health Organization, 2019.

Amendment 34

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
I. whereas the current EU legal framework, including the General Data Protection Regulation, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Artificial Intelligence Act, provides a solid foundation for protecting children online, though persistent gaps remain in consistent enforcement;	I. whereas the current EU legal framework, including the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive1a (UCPD), the General Data Protection Regulation, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), provides a solid foundation for protecting children online, though persistent gaps remain in consistent enforcement; whereas there is an urgent need for the effective implementation and enforcement of existing EU legislation and a need to clarify possible interlinks and overlaps among those legislative acts; whereas minors should enjoy a higher level of protection on all online services, irrespective of their size, which requires a harmonised European approach; 1a Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Unfair Commercial Practices Directive’) (OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2005/29/oj).

Amendment 35

Motion for a resolution

Recital J

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
J. whereas digital and media literacy is fundamental to empowering young people against manipulation, misinformation, disinformation and profiling on social media;	J. whereas digital and media literacy is fundamental to empowering young people, especially vulnerable young people, against manipulation, misinformation, disinformation and profiling on social media in line with the Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, the 2030 Digital Compass and the European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+ strategy); whereas young people should not be passive technology consumers, but should rather be actively in charge of the technologies they use; whereas teachers, parents and caregivers should also benefit from prevention techniques, awareness-raising and media and digital literacy campaigns, as well as information on the existence and functioning of digital tools to limit and direct their child’s or children’s experience online, and to restrict access to age-inappropriate or harmful online content;

Amendment 36

Motion for a resolution

Recital J a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Ja. whereas gaming addiction is recognised as a mental health disorder by the WHO; whereas according to the WHO, 12 % of adolescents are at risk of problematic gaming, with boys more likely than girls to show signs of problematic gaming (16 %, compared to 7 % for girls); whereas the Pan-European Game Information system enables consumers and parents to make informed decisions about the suitability of video games and apps for different age groups;

Amendment 37

Motion for a resolution

Recital J b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Jb. whereas digital technologies can be beneficial to several aspects of children’s development, such as socialisation and education, including personalised learning, as well as digital skills and the development of competences;

Amendment 38

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
1. Stresses that addressing the impact of social media on young people requires a unified strategy combining safety-by-design, algorithmic transparency, privacy-first age assurance, digital literacy, participatory governance and evidence-based evaluation to ensure equal protection and empowerment for all;	1. Stresses that addressing the impact of social media on young people requires a unified European strategy combining safety-by-design, algorithmic transparency and control, data minimisation, the prevention of negative effects on mental health, privacy-first age assurance, digital literacy, participatory governance and evidence-based evaluation to ensure equal protection and empowerment for all;

Amendment 39

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	1a. Urges the Commission to develop a risk-based harmonised EU strategy ensuring consistent protection for minors, recognising parental responsibility but also supporting parents in making informed choices about minors’ online activities;

Amendment 40

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	1b. Highlights that while the online environment can offer huge benefits to young people, there are also dangers and malicious practices that put the welfare of children and young people at risk; stresses that as a result of this, policymakers have put in place a corpus of legal tools and public policy measures, and underlines that these measures are not always fully implemented or utilised;

Amendment 41

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
Current EU legal framework	EU legal framework

Amendment 42

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	1c. Welcomes the Jutland Declaration, signed by EU ministers on 10 October 2025, which reflects a common and cross-cutting commitment to protecting minors in digital environments;

Amendment 43

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
2. Stresses the need to ensure consistency across key EU legal instruments, such as the General Data Protection Regulation, the AVMSD, the DSA and the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, to build a unified framework for protecting children online;	2. Underlines the importance of existing EU legislation, such as the AVMSD, the DSA, the GDPR, the AI Act and the UCPD, for protecting minors online; stresses the urgent need to ensure effective and coherent implementation, enforcement and consistency across these key EU legal instruments, paying special attention to minors;

Amendment 44

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2a. Stresses the urgent need to tackle remaining challenges to create a safe online environment for all users, in particular minors; stresses that the issue of addictive design is not sufficiently covered in existing EU legislation;

Amendment 45

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2b. Urges the Commission to clarify the interplay between existing legislation regulating dark patterns, such as the UCPD and the DSA, and to consider reviewing the list of unfair commercial practices under Annex I to the UCPD in order to close further legal gaps, where appropriate; points, in particular, to practices such as giving more prominence to certain choices when asking consumers for a decision, preselecting options, requesting that consumers make a choice that has already been made, hampering free choice, such as by removing all stopping cues, making it difficult to change default settings, using emotional language to steer consumers towards certain choices, using ambiguous language to confuse consumers when asking them for a decision, and creating a sense of urgency by falsely indicating that other users are currently also interested in certain products or services or that only a few items are left, or falsely indicating that many users recently purchased a particular product;

Amendment 46

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2c. Calls on the Commission to analyse the interplay between the obligations under the AVMSD and those under the DSA, to examine the coherence and clarity of their application for audiovisual content, bearing in mind the need to ensure an adequate level of protection for users of video-sharing platforms;

Amendment 47

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2d. Underlines that the DSA obliges online platforms accessible to minors to implement appropriate and proportionate measures to guarantee a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors using their services; calls on social media platforms to assume their responsibility by proactively implementing measures to enhance the protection of young people online; highlights the importance of the safety-by-design principle; calls on the Commission, the Board for Digital Services and all competent national authorities, including the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network), to closely monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken by online platforms to protect minors;

Amendment 48

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2e. Stresses the need to strengthen cooperation and information sharing between national competent authorities, and between the national competent authorities and the Commission, which is essential for the implementation of the EU legislation in all Member States; stresses the need for collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations, to inform the development of well-targeted policies; stresses the importance of coordinated actions of the CPC Network in the field of the online protection of minors, with an emphasis on unfair commercial practices, misleading or aggressive commercial online practices, and social media and influencer marketing; strongly encourages the Commission to propose a review of the Regulation on Consumer Protection Cooperation1a and bestow the Commission with centralised investigative and enforcement powers across the EU in cases of widespread infringement of EU consumer laws; 1a Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 (OJ L 345, 27.12.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/2394/oj).

Amendment 49

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	2f. Stresses the need to allocate adequate resources in the context of the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework to guarantee that the relevant competent authorities and the services within the Commission in charge of implementing and enforcing the relevant digital legislation have the necessary resources to effectively carry out their work; urges the Member States to increase financial and human resources for Digital Services Coordinators and other national competent authorities, in order to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the EU legislation; stresses the need to provide the staff of the competent authorities dealing with harmful and illegal content with a well-defined framework, and psychological support and assistance;

Amendment 50

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
AIA	AI Act

Amendment 51

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Stresses that AI-driven youth-facing services, such as chatbots, personalisation engines and algorithmic content filters, present new risks of bias, manipulation and privacy intrusions, reinforcing the necessity of enforcing the Artificial Intelligence Act’s obligations on transparency, risk assessment and the safeguarding of children’s rights;	6. Stresses that the increasing ease of access to and use of generative AI tools for minors, as well as the growing presence of AI-driven youth-facing services, such as chatbots, personalisation engines and algorithmic content filters, present new risks of bias, manipulation and AI anthropomorphism – particularly deepfakes – which can distort reality, spread misinformation, prompt unintended online purchases and encourage the sharing of personal data, thereby reinforcing the necessity of enforcing the AI Act’s obligations on transparency, risk assessment and the safeguarding of children’s rights; further warns that interactions with AI companions or chatbots have, in some cases, led to personal tragedies, including a rising number of suicides;

Amendment 52

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6a. Highlights that the AI Act addresses the systemic risks posed by AI systems, especially to public health, safety, public security, and the fundamental rights of society as a whole, and establishes a minimum level of safety and trustworthiness for AI in the EU, including the AI systems used in content generation, recommendation mechanisms and user interactions on online platforms; calls for the rapid implementation and enforcement of the AI Act’s obligations;

Amendment 53

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6b. Stresses the need for age-appropriate awareness initiatives about the possible risks associated with AI, including the risks of developing relationships with AI agents and emotional dependency on them;

Amendment 54

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	DSA

Amendment 55

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6c. Stresses the need for the prompt implementation and strict enforcement of the DSA as a whole, to ensure a safe online environment for minors; particularly welcomes the Commission’s ongoing investigations, under the DSA, concerning the protection of minors online; calls on the Commission to conclude these investigations without delay and to take any further additional steps, including fines and effective corrective actions, in line with the DSA framework;

Amendment 56

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6d. Calls on the Commission to develop guidance for micro and small enterprises to ensure a high level of protection of young people online, while avoiding unnecessary burdens on these companies, and to prevent harmful content from shifting to smaller platforms falling outside the scope of stricter rules;

Amendment 57

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6e. Expresses concern over the proliferation of dangerous trends and challenges on online platforms, including targeted disinformation campaigns, noting that these could harm minors; highlights the lack of awareness among parents and guardians, who often have limited capacity to react before harm is done; urges online platforms to proactively assess risks for minors, in line with the existing legislation, and detect emerging dangerous trends and challenges; calls on the Commission to establish, in cooperation with the Safer Internet Centres, an efficient rapid alert mechanism at EU level to detect such issues and to require platforms to mitigate these issues; calls on the Commission to propose that platforms display crisis resource panels with contact numbers for third-party support services, such as eating disorder or suicide prevention charities;

Amendment 58

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6f. Emphasises that the risk assessments conducted by very large online platforms and very large online search engines under the DSA concerning minors’ online safety are often insufficient, often lack independent oversight, and underestimate the risks to minors; calls on the Commission to make, with the support of Digital Services Coordinators, such risk assessments more robust by specifying the relevant information, data and assessments that must be included in systemic risk assessments related to the protection of minors;

Amendment 59

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 g (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6g. Recalls that the enforcement of the DSA is a shared responsibility between the Commission and the Member States; expresses concern over significant delays in the designation and/or empowerment of Digital Services Coordinators in some Member States; welcomes, in this regard, the infringement proceedings initiated against Member States that have failed to designate and/or empower Digital Services Coordinators; calls on the Commission to ensure a harmonised approach to enforcement by Member States to prevent fragmentation of the internal market;

Amendment 60

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Welcomes the July 2025 Commission guidelines pursuant to Article 28 DSA as a key step in strengthening child protection online, particularly on VSPs and social media, offering practical tools to help platforms and regulators apply the DSA rules effectively;	7. Welcomes the July 2025 Commission guidelines pursuant to Article 28 DSA on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online as a key step in strengthening child protection online, particularly on VSPs and social media, offering practical measures for Digital Services Coordinators and the Commission to enforce the DSA rules and for online platforms to ensure compliance and implement high levels of privacy, safety and security for minors online; stresses the need for social media and video-sharing platforms to use highly effective and privacy-preserving age assurance; notes that although the guidelines are not binding, the Commission will use them to evaluate compliance with Article 28(1) DSA; calls for their regular review in order to reflect evolving market practices in the online environment and to address emerging issues;

Amendment 61

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7a. Stresses that these guidelines provide recommendations to online platforms on the use of AI functionalities, notably that AI chatbots and filters should not be activated automatically and that AI features should only be made available on online platforms accessible to children after an assessment of the risks those AI features may pose to minors’ privacy, safety and security, and that they should be easy to disable and it should be clearly indicated when they are inactive; stresses that those guidelines must be applied efficiently;

Amendment 62

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7b. Requests the Commission to closely monitor and evaluate the implementation of the measures set out in those guidelines and, where appropriate, to follow up with additional steps at EU level after an assessment by the Commission’s expert group; underlines that such measures must be data- and risk-based and must fully respect children’s rights, while preventing circumvention and ensuring that platforms take responsibility and effective actions to address problems linked to algorithms and addictive designs;

Amendment 63

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 5 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Upcoming Digital Fairness Act

Amendment 64

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7c. Welcomes the Commission’s ‘digital fairness’ fitness check of consumer law; underlines that some issues remain unaddressed, concerning the protection of consumers online, with minors identified as particularly vulnerable to unfair and manipulative online practices;

Amendment 65

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7d. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the protection of minors online through the upcoming Digital Fairness Act; believes that persuasive technologies used by online actors, such as targeted advertising, influencer marketing, addictive design, loot boxes, in-app currencies in video games and dark patterns, should fall under the Digital Fairness Act, which should close legal loopholes and be consistent with current legal instruments in order to better protect consumers online, in particular minors, taking into account the need to avoid unnecessary regulatory burdens;

Amendment 66

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Encourages awareness-raising campaigns targeting young people, families and schools, similar to initiatives such as Safer Internet Day, to prevent digital addiction, foster peer support skills and encourage healthier social media habits;	9. Encourages awareness-raising campaigns on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle specifically targeted at children and adolescents in vulnerable situations, families and schools, similar to initiatives such as Safer Internet Day, to prevent digital addiction, to inform parents about the risks associated with excessive and uncontrolled internet use, and the responsibility of providers and companies to take preventive measures regarding the content to which they expose their users, as well as to foster peer support skills, to encourage healthier social media habits and to highlight resources for psychological and psychiatric help and support when needed;

Amendment 67

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9a. Stresses that the use of digital products and services can cause addiction and thus serious mental health harms, particularly for minors, while also leading to economic and physical risks; highlights the fact that addictive design features are often inherent to the business model of platforms, notably social media, as well as to certain online services and online games, but they are also used by services providers that do not fall within the scope of the DSA, resulting in the commercial exploitation of minors; further emphasises the fact that some addictive design features could also manifest themselves in algorithmic recommender systems that prioritise emotive, extreme, inappropriate or (hyper-)personalised content to maximise user engagement; is deeply concerned that such practices may trap minors in harmful ‘rabbit holes’ of toxic content; calls on the Commission to propose legislation that mandates age-appropriate design, and safety-by-design and by default, requiring all platforms and other traders to include the necessary risk-based safeguards in their recommender systems, ban engagement-based recommender algorithms for minors, ban the most harmful addictive practices and disable other addictive design features by default for minors, where appropriate;

Amendment 68

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9b. Welcomes the upcoming EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media and related excessive screen time on well-being and mental health, especially that of children and young people, as a crucial element towards deepening our understanding of the digital environment’s effects on children and young people’s health and well-being; reiterates the importance of promoting alternative, offline methods of entertainment for young children, such as interactive play, outdoor activities, spending time with family and friends, and creative expression through engaging, non-digital alternatives;

Amendment 69

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9c. Calls on the Member States to fund mental health hotlines, peer-support initiatives, and training for teachers and health professionals on the risks associated with digital and online environments;

Amendment 70

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9d. Takes note of the fact that there is currently a fragmented approach to age assurance (age verification, age estimation and self-declaration) measures across the EU, and that this leads to fragmentation in the internal market; acknowledges that some Member States have implemented advanced measures to enhance the protection of minors online; regrets that the differing national approaches may result in an uneven level of protection of minors online across the EU; acknowledges the importance of the ongoing discussions at both national and EU level on this issue, with a view to determining how to best address this challenge at EU level;

Amendment 71

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9e. Welcomes the Commission’s risk-based approach taken in its guidelines for effective, proportionate and privacy-preserving age assurance mechanisms to protect minors online, in accordance with the DSA; highlights that the Commission considers the use of access restrictions supported by age verification methods an appropriate and proportionate measure to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors;

Amendment 72

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9f. Stresses that age assurance mechanisms are not a silver bullet for protecting minors from the many risks they face online; emphasises that such tools cannot remove platforms’ accountability for ensuring their products are safe and appropriate for minors by design and by default; encourages the development of versions of social media services that are age-appropriate for minors;

Amendment 73

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 g (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9g. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement of the creation of a group of experts on the protection of minors online, whose mandate is to advise on the best approach for the EU, including to swiftly assess, among other issues, the question of digital age limits and which online services should be covered; calls on the Commission, in this regard, to ensure the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, in its discussions and deliberations;

Amendment 74

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 h (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9h. Stresses the fact that some countries in the EU have already developed digital tools that ensure effective age verification; encourages collaboration between these Member States and the Commission to develop a strong and effective age verification tool at EU level, ensuring full respect of the technical specifications derived from the eIDAS2 Regulation1a; 1a Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as regards establishing the European Digital Identity Framework (OJ L, 2024/1183, 30.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1183/oj).

Amendment 75

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Stresses the need for effective and privacy-respecting age verification and parental controls; calls, in that regard, for interoperable age assurance systems, linked to the EU Digital Identity Wallet, that verify a user’s age without collecting or retaining personal data;	10. Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to provide an EU-wide solution by developing an age-verification app and the EU Digital Identity (eID) Wallet; recommends that the Commission further invest in privacy-preserving systems, such as zero-knowledge proof protocols, building on the principles of minimal exposure and data minimisation; calls on the Commission to ensure that any age assurance mechanisms that are deployed are accurate, effective, reliable, robust, non-intrusive, privacy-preserving and non-discriminatory by design, and do not incentivise the development of technologies that rely on the surveillance of users, in particular minors, nor on the deployment of other unethical technological practices; calls on the Commission to present, if necessary, appropriate legislative measures to provide legal certainty, and ensure a harmonised approach for safe and reliable age assurance mechanisms, taking into account the Commission guidelines on the protection of minors throughout the EU, and guaranteeing an equal level of protection of minors across the EU;

Amendment 76

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10a. Stresses that it is the provider’s primary responsibility to ensure effective age assurance for minors accessing their services; welcomes the Commission’s consideration that it remains the responsibility of the provider to ensure that the method for age assurance used by a third party is effective;

Amendment 77

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10b. Notes that several online platforms have introduced mechanisms to control or verify access to their services; stresses, however, that minors still have widespread access to age-inappropriate content; underlines that existing mechanisms are easily circumvented, and must be reinforced with stronger and appropriate safeguards to ensure adequate protection of minors online, particularly against harmful and age-inappropriate material such as pornography and violent content;

Amendment 78

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10c. Calls for greater collaboration between regulators, supervisors and families to ensure the provision of age-appropriate online content and appropriate safeguards for minors online, including the provision of child-appropriate versions of social media platforms;

Amendment 79

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10d. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission to consider introducing personal liability for senior management in cases of serious and persistent non-compliance with the protection provisions concerning minors set out in Articles 34-35 DSA, in order to incentivise better compliance;

Amendment 80

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Digital age limit

Amendment 81

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10e. Calls for the establishment of a harmonised European digital age limit of 16, as the default threshold under which access to social media platforms should not be allowed unless parents or guardians have authorised their children otherwise, calls for the same age limit to apply to video-sharing platforms and AI companions which present risks to minors; calls also for a harmonised European digital age limit of 13, under which no minor can access social media platforms;

Amendment 82

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 8 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Parental control

Amendment 83

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10f. Stresses that the DSA requires online platforms to implement effective safeguards to protect vulnerable groups, including minors; highlights that providers of online platforms accessible to minors can put in place easily understandable and user-friendly parental control measures to help parents and guardians shield children from harmful content; emphasises that the availability of such tools is without prejudice to the responsibility of these platforms for protecting minors online;

Amendment 84

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
11. Urges online platforms to take greater responsibility for protecting minors from harmful or manipulative content, by ensuring proactive moderation, default safety measures and algorithmic adjustments to prevent exposure to addictive or deceitful content;	11. Expresses concern that parents often lack the knowledge, skills, and adequate tools to monitor and manage minors’ online activities, or are unaware of the options available; notes that even when parental control tools are in place, they are not always easy to find or navigate, and minors can easily circumvent them; stresses the need to ensure that such tools are user-friendly, intuitive and easily found, and understood by all parents and guardians, including those with disabilities; urges platforms to take greater responsibility for enhancing and promoting the effectiveness of parental control systems, and calls on the platforms to publish relevant data on the effectiveness of these systems;

Amendment 85

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
Influencers and digital culture	Influencers and targeted advertising

Amendment 86

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
13. Stresses the need for full transparency in influencer advertising that targets minors; underlines the importance of sponsorship disclosures and ethical standards for influencers targeting children, highlighting the risk of misleading marketing when advertisements are hidden as organic content;	13. Underlines that the Digital Fairness Fitness Check 2024 reveals that only 20 % of online influencers systematically indicate the commercial nature of the content they share; highlights the fact that EU consumer law only partly addresses the issues posed by influencer marketing, and that the promotion of an unrealistic lifestyle, and of dangerous or unhealthy products or services to minors by influencers, and the harmful commercial practices involved in influencer marketing, remain a reality; calls for the EU legal framework to be strengthened in order to comprehensively address influencer marketing, with a view to reinforcing transparency requirements and enhancing the protection of young people using social media against manipulative and harmful practices, while harnessing the potential of influencers to contribute positively, including through educational and awareness-raising content; stresses that the legal framework should strike the right balance between enabling the single market for commercial activities and ensuring a high level of consumer protection, in particular for minors;

Amendment 87

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13a. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to further assess the need to address legal uncertainties, including by establishing a harmonised definition of ‘influencer marketing’, and strengthen, where appropriate, the prohibition of commercial practices that include the promotion by influencers of products, trends, challenges or behaviours that may put minors at risk, including health or financial risks; calls on the Commission to adapt EU rules, including by clarifying, where necessary, the responsibilities of platforms, influencers and other actors in the value chain, such as their agencies, and the brands whose products and services are being promoted;

Amendment 88

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13b. Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to ensure influencers’ compliance with existing legislation, including by setting up an Influencer Legal Hub;

Amendment 89

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13c. Draws attention to the need for stronger protection of minors against behavioural monitoring and influencing; recalls that the DSA prohibits targeted advertising based on profiling of minors on online platforms; points out, however, that this ban does not extend to other traders and digital services that may use personalised advertising; calls on the Commission to introduce equivalent obligations applying to all traders and digital services predominantly used by minors;

Amendment 90

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13d. Stresses the concerning use of minors’ images by ‘parent influencers’ or ‘family influencers’ outside of any legal or ethical framework, often in exchange for financial remuneration, raising serious questions about consent, privacy and the commercial exploitation of minors; highlights also that minors below the minimum age requirements are active on these platforms and operate as ‘kidfluencers’; calls on the Commission to protect minors from commercial exploitation by prohibiting platforms from monetising or otherwise providing financial or material incentives for ‘sharenting’ or ‘kidfluencing’ activities;

Amendment 91

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13e. Stresses that while public interest communications, such as the promotion of helplines for the protection of minors and other educational and awareness-raising programmes, may use channels and techniques that are similar to advertising, they do not always necessarily constitute advertising, particularly if their primary purpose is to inform or benefit the public, especially minors; notes, however, that the prohibition on targeted advertising for minors, as set out in the DSA, may prevent such communications; calls on the Commission to assess this issue and consider how public interest communications, which aim to protect and educate minors, can continue to be effectively disseminated;

Amendment 92

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	Video games

Amendment 93

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 f (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13f. Points out that video games fall under the scope of the DSA when they qualify as an intermediary service or platform; stresses, however, that providers of video games that do not meet these criteria are not bound by the rules set out in the DSA; calls on the Commission, where applicable, to ensure minimum DSA-equivalent obligations for all online video games, regardless of whether or not they qualify as an online platform under the DSA;

Amendment 94

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 g (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13g. Expresses utmost concern that video games are an increasingly commercial environment for minors, and often encourage unwanted spending and involve the sale of virtual items, including uncertainty-based rewards and the unethical use of gambling-like or manipulative mechanisms, such as loot boxes, and the use of intermediate in-app virtual currencies, which can make it difficult to assess the real value of the transaction and the real price of each individual purchase;

Amendment 95

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 h (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13h. Strongly urges the Commission to guarantee a high level of protection for minors who play video games, in particular by prohibiting loot boxes and other randomised content, such as wheels of fortune, prize wheels, and packs of cards, provided in exchange for real money in games that are likely to be accessed by minors, as well as to address risks linked to in-app currencies, micro-transactions, and pay-to-progress and pay-to-win mechanisms that are accessible to minors and that can be presented in a way that encourages overspending or gambling behaviours, or that are embedded in the core gameplay dynamic, and therefore forced on the users;

Amendment 96

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 i (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13i. Stresses that video game addiction, also known as ‘gaming disorder’, is a problem for some players; notes that the WHO has classified gaming disorder as a form of addiction characterised by impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continued or escalated gaming despite negative consequences; calls for further collaborative work among video game designers, publishers, platforms and the wider stakeholder community, including national competent authorities and the Commission, to help mitigate the risks of gaming disorders; suggests that more awareness campaigns should be launched to ensure that parents and young gamers are aware of the risks related to gaming disorder, and calls on game developers to avoid manipulative game design that can lead to gaming addiction, isolation and cyber-harassment;

Amendment 97

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 j (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13j. Urges the Commission and the national consumer protection authorities within the CPC Network to ensure that EU consumer law is fully respected and enforced in the video game sector; further calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of requiring providers of online video games that are directed towards minors and young children to develop ex ante child impact assessments based on the 4Cs (‘content, contact, conduct, contract’) framework for classifying risk, and corresponding labelling systems, to help parents and guardians make informed choices;

Amendment 98

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13 k (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	13k. Stresses that persons with disabilities should be able to play all types of online video games; underlines that both the technical and communicative features of online video games, and any relevant information related to playing or purchasing the games, must be inclusive and accessible; calls on the Commission to present initiatives to improve the accessibility of online video games for persons with disabilities; encourages providers of online video games to make games accessible by applying the accessibility requirements of Annex I of Directive (EU) 2019/8821a; 1a Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, p. 70, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/882/oj).

Amendment 99

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
14. Notes that social media plays a key role in youth mobilisations and awareness campaigns, demonstrating its power to drive meaningful participation; highlights that social media can both facilitate and hinder youth political engagement;	14. Notes that social media plays a key role in youth mobilisations and awareness campaigns, demonstrating its power to drive meaningful participation; highlights that social media can facilitate youth political engagement by enabling easier connection, organisation and participation in debates; warns, however, of the risks posed by disinformation, the spread of fake news and online harassment, which could hinder engagement;

Amendment 100

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Stresses the importance of fair representation of minorities and marginalised identities in social media spaces to foster inclusion and belonging;	16. Stresses the importance of fair representation of minorities, marginalised identities and people with disabilities in social media spaces to foster inclusion and belonging;

Amendment 101

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	16a. Urges the Member States to implement Article 7 AVMSD, obliging them to ensure, without undue delay, that services provided by media service providers under their jurisdiction are made continuously and progressively more accessible to persons with disabilities through proportionate measures;

Amendment 102

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	16b. Stresses the importance of meaningful consultation with and participation of young people in the design and evaluation of digital protection measures;

Amendment 103

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Highlights the key role of both formal and non-formal education in equipping young people with the digital skills and the critical thinking needed to navigate social media safely and effectively;	18. Highlights the key role of both formal and non-formal education in equipping young people with the digital skills and the critical thinking needed to navigate social media and online environments safely and effectively; stresses the importance of ensuring that minors are aware of online threats and understand the risks connected to the use of in-app purchases, virtual currencies and data sharing;

Amendment 104

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18a. Highlights the need to intensify efforts to educate minors and adolescents on ways of protecting themselves, and on the use of available tools, such as for flagging harmful content and reporting inappropriate behaviour, and the use of available helplines; stresses the importance of digital literacy and of empowering parents and guardians to best protect their children online, by giving them the knowledge and information they need to make informed choices; calls on the Commission and the Member States to lead broadly-based digital literacy and safety online campaigns for parents and children;

Amendment 105

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18b. Calls for the implementation of suicide-prevention protocols on major platforms, including the visible display of helpline numbers and support resources;

Amendment 106

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	19a. Calls on the Commission to ensure proper monitoring of the application of the guidelines pursuant to Article 28 DSA on measures for a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, in order to prevent the creation of echo chambers, online ‘rabbit holes’ and harmful communities;

Amendment 107

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	19b. Stresses that recommender systems targeting minors must not rely on behavioural data collected outside of the platform, nor use profiling to determine the content presented to them; urges online platforms to disable by default profiling-based algorithms for children, to base any personalisation solely on explicit user-provided signals, and to provide age-appropriate tools enabling minors to manage and influence the content recommended to them;

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she included in her opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the draft opinion , prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register
Digital Fairness Act team in DG JUST
DG Connect
YouTube / Google
Meta
TikTok
OpenAI
5Rights Foundation
BEUC
Eurochild
Kids Unplugged
CNMC
DOT Europe
ARCOM
Arnau Carmona Feliu, PhD student and researcher
2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	26.2.2026
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	33 4 6