With this step, the Commission aims to create a safer online environment for children by supporting online platforms accessible to minors to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for children.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said:
“Children's safety online is our top priority. The draft guidelines we are publishing today under the Digital Services Act will help shape a better and safer online environment for younger users. The wide range of measures will aid the different online platforms in protecting minors' safety, security, privacy and well-being.”
The draft guidelines cover a wide range of measures such as verifying user's age, improving how content is recommended to users to reduce the risk of children being exposed to harmful content, setting children's accounts to private by default, best practices for child-safe content moderation, child-friendly reporting channels and user support, as well as guidance on platforms' internal governance.
Stakeholders, including Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) Youth ambassadors, have been extensively consulted and contributed to the development of the draft guidelines. The measures outlined in the guidelines will apply to online platforms of all sizes, except micro and small enterprises, that are accessible to minors, including very large online platforms with over 45 million monthly users in the EU.
The draft guidelines are now open for public feedback until 10 June 2025. The Commission is seeking contributions from all stakeholders, including children, parents and guardians, national authorities, online platform providers, and experts.
The Commission plans to adopt the guidelines before summer 2025, marking a significant milestone in the EU's efforts to create a safer digital environment for children.
Find further information in the draft guidelines.
You can also check further information about the Digital Services Act (DSA).