The Commission launches an Action Plan against Cyberbullying to protect young people online

The European Commission’sAction Plan against Cyberbullyin gaims to protect the mental health of children and adolescents online in the EU. The Action Plan focuses on: implementing an EU-wide app where victims of online bullying can easily get help; coordinating national strategies to tackle harmful online behaviour; and preventing cyberbullying by promoting better and safer digital practices.

EU-wide app to report cyberbullying

Victims of cyberbullying should have a clear and easy way to report bullying and get help. Therefore, an essential element of the Action Plan is the launch of an easy-to-use and accessible app for reporting cyberbullying through a national helpline. More importantly, the app will enable children and adolescents to receive support and securely store and send evidence. The Commission will develop a model app that Member States can use to adapt, translate and connect it to the relevant national services.

A coordinated EU approach

All young people in the EU should be equally protected against cyberbullying. Member States should develop comprehensive national plans and use a common understanding of cyberbullying to collect and compare data. This is an important step towards a more united fight against cyberbullying.

Initiatives are already in place to protect and empower children online. To increase their effectiveness in combating cyberbullying, the Commission will identify opportunities to further develop them. Specifically, the Commission will:

• Reviewthe Digital Services Act (DSA) guidelines on the protection of minorsto strengthen the measures that online platforms must take to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful content and to report it easily;
• Adopt the DSA guidelines on trusted flaggers to clarify their role in tackling illegal content, including illegal cyberbullying content;
• Address cyberbullying on video-sharing platforms in the ongoing evaluation and review of theAudiovisual Media Services Directive(AVMSD);
• Support the effective implementation of the provisionsoftheArtificial Intelligence (AI) Acton prohibited AI practices, including when used for cyberbullying;
• Facilitate the effective implementation ofthe transparency obligations of the AI Act, including through a code of practice on the marking and labelling of AI-generated content, which can be misused for cyberbullying.

Prevention of cyberbullying

The Action Plan promotes healthy, responsible and respectful digital practices from an early age. The prevention of cyberbullying will be the focus of the upcoming revision ofthe Commission’s guidelines for educators on promoting digital literacy, as part of the broader objective of strengthening digital skills and improving the use of digital technologies within the framework of theSkills Union.

In parallel, the Commission will expand resources and training on cyberbullying for schools through theSafer Internet Centresand theBetter Internet for Children Platform.

‘Safer Internet Day’

The Commission will continue to promote the rights and well-being of children online and offline throughSafer Internet Day.

Launched in 2004 in the EU, Safer Internet Day is now celebrated in approximately 160 countries and territories around the world, advocating for a safer and better online world for everyone. The European Commission remains committed to promoting the rights and well-being of children, both online and offline, across Europe and the world.

Next steps

The Commission will implement the Action Plan against Cyberbullying together with Member States, industry, civil society, international organisations and children themselves.

In parallel, the Commission is working on upcoming initiatives, such as the pilot testing of anEU privacy-preserving age verification solution, the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, an expert panel to inform the Commission’s work on protecting children online, and research on the impact of social media on mental health.

Background

It is estimated that approximately one in six children aged 11 to 15 report having been a victim of cyberbullying, and approximately one in eight admit to having bullied someone. AccordingtoaEurobarometer surveypublished last year, more than 9 out of 10 Europeans say that public authorities need to take urgent action to protect children online from the negative impact of social media on their mental health (93%), cyberbullying and online harassment (92%) and to ensure mechanisms are in place to restrict age-inappropriate content (92%).

The Action Plan against Cyberbullying was developed on the basis of a specific consultation with more than 6,000 children and a broader public consultation.

The Action Plan builds on existing tools and standards that help combat cyberbullying.

The Digital Services Act requires online platforms to ensure a high level of privacy and security for minors online. Theguidelines for the protection of minorsrecommend measures for platforms, such as ensuring that minors can block or mute any user and that they cannot be added to online groups without their consent.

TheAudiovisual Media Services Directiverequires video-sharing platforms to take appropriate measures to prevent minors from accessing harmful content, including cyberbullying content.

The Artificial Intelligence Actprohibits systems that manipulate or deceive people, including children, in harmful ways, and establishes rules on the labelling of deepfakes to prevent deception.

The Action Plan will boost the visibility and reach of the resources available through theSafer Internet Centresnetwork, which offers support tools to children, parents, carers, educators and professionals in the field at national level, and through themultilingual Better Internet for Kids platform. In 2025, around 48 million European citizens used the resources of the Safer Internet Centres.

More information: European Commission.