For most children, social media plays a central role in their lives. It provides opportunities to connect with peers, access information, explore interests and express themselves freely. Yet it can expose them to serious harm, including sexual abuse material, violent content, exploitation, cyberbullying, disinformation, unlawful practices and addiction.
This short paper presents data showing how concerned people in the EU are about children’s social media use, and which issues are of most concern to them. To better protect children online, the EU has rolled out several regulatory and practical actions to make social media participation safer [1]
For an overview of main legislation and policy at the EU and Member State levels on child safety online, see Better Internet for Kids Initiative, European Commission website.
, including:
- The Digital Services Act (DSA) and its implementation: The DSA obliges online platforms to prioritise children’s safety, privacy and security (Article 28). Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) are required to assess systemic risks and implement age verification or other proportionate protective measures where necessary (Articles 34, 35) [2]
European Parliament and Council of the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European and Council of the European Union of 19 October 2022 on a single market for digital services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 27 October 2022.
. Under the DSA, several enforcement actions are ongoing, including to evaluate the effectiveness of age verification measures. The European Commission adopted guidelines under Article 28 of the DSA outlining a broad set of measures for platforms to protect children online [3]
European Commission, Communication from the Commission – Guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, pursuant to Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065,OJ C/2025/5519, 10 October 2025.
. - A harmonised EU approach to age verification: The European Commission is working towards a harmonised framework. Some Member States as well as certain online platforms are piloting an age verification system [4]
European Commission, Blueprint for an age verification solution to help protect minors online, European Commission website, accessed on 2 March 2025.
, designed to work with the future EU Digital Identity Wallet [5]
European Commission, EU digital identity wallet home, European Commission website, accessed on 2 March 2025.
. - An expert panel on child safety online: In March 2026, a special panel of experts was set up to advise the European Commission on child safety online and potential age limits for social media platforms in Europe [6] European Commission, Special panel on child safety online, European Commission website, accessed on 25 March 2026.
.
Measures to improve children’s online safety, such as legally enforced age limits and age assurance tools, may interfere with several fundamental rights. Therefore, any measure requires a thorough assessment both by the legislator [7]
European Union (EU), Consolidated treaties, Charter of Fundamental Rights 2016 (Charter of Fundamental Rights) (2016/C 202/02), 2016, Art. 5; for a presentation of the necessity and proportionality test under the Charter, consult FRA, Better legislation – Human rights impact assessments in lawmaking, 8 December 2025, Chapters 1-2; FRA, Charterpedia, Article 52- Scope and interpretation, FRA website, accessed on 3 March 2026.
and online platforms [8] The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires very large online platforms and search engines to assess and mitigate systemic risks to children’s rights and on the protection of children (Art. 34-. 35). It also requires online platforms accessible to children to put in place ‘appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security of minors on their services’ (DSA, Art.28 (1)).
. This involves understanding children’s right to protection from online harms alongside their other fundamental rights, including, but not limited to: children’s right to participation and to be heard, freedom of expression and information, protection from discrimination, the right to privacy and the protection of personal data. These rights are enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Charter) [9]
EU, Charter of Fundamental Rights (2016/C 202/02), 2016, pp. 389-405), 2000.
and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) [10]
United Nations, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 20 November 1989.
, which all EU Member States have ratified. At the end of this paper, further references to relevant fundamental rights are included (see 3 Relevant provisions: EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and secondary EU law).
To inform discussions on policy measures and actions, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) collected data on the concerns and views of the general population in the EU, including teenagers aged 15-17, regarding child safety online. This paper starts with an overview of the survey’s key findings, then provides results of people’s concerns related to children’s use of social media, before turning to views on the prohibition of social media for certain age groups.
The findings are based on an EU-wide Eurobarometer survey of 26,453 respondents, with specific questions developed by FRA. Separately, FRA has published research on the impact of technology and social media on fundamental rights risks [11]
FRA, Assessing High-risk Artificial Intelligence – Fundamental Rights Risks, Publication Office of the European Union, 2025, pp. 58-59; FRA, Online Content Moderation – Current challenges in detecting hate speech, Publication Office of the European Union, 2023, pp. 73-74.
and is conducting further research on child safety online. For more detail on the methodology and data collection, see box About the data collection.