The European Commission Presents a Plan to Combat Cyberbullying and Protect Children and Adolescents

The European Commission has presented in Strasbourg an Action Plan to combat cyberbullying, aimed at protecting children and adolescents in the digital environment. The document provides for the creation of EU-wide support tools for victims of online harassment, coordination of national approaches across member states, and the promotion of safer digital practices.

A key element of the plan is the development of a user-friendly and accessible mobile application for reporting cases of cyberbullying. Through the app, children and teenagers will be able to safely store and submit evidence of incidents to national support services.

The European Commission will design a basic application template, which member states will be able to adapt to their national needs, translate into local languages, and link to existing helplines.

To strengthen the fight against online harassment, the Commission is calling on EU countries to develop comprehensive national strategies and adopt a common definition of cyberbullying. This would allow for comparable data collection and more targeted policy responses.

The action plan also предусматривает:

• a review of the Digital Services Act (DSA) guidelines concerning the protection of minors;
• clarification of online platforms’ obligations in tackling illegal content;
• stronger oversight of video-sharing platforms;
• application of EU artificial intelligence legislation, including bans on harmful practices;
• increased transparency of digital services.

The European Commission stresses that the goal of the initiative is to create a safer online environment and ensure that children and adolescents have quick and easy access to help in cases of digital abuse.