The European Parliament is preparing to vote on a report calling for stronger safeguards for children and young people online this Thursday.
The report, impact of social media and the online environment on young people, was prepared by the Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), with Socialists & Democrats (S&D) MEP Sandro Ruotolo as rapporteur.
Today Ruotolo addressed the press in Strasbourg and stated: “Algorithms are controlling what we watch, and this is getting increasingly dangerous, especially for all those underaged.”
“This must be a joint European initiative. It is an issue that transcends borders and it is an issue that is affecting all European states,” he added.
The text is an own-initiative report, rather than legislation. In other words, MEPs are not directly adopting a new law on social media. Instead, Parliament is setting out its position and asking the European Commission and EU countries to strengthen and better enforce the rules governing the digital environment.
Why protecting children online is becoming a major EU political issue
The debate over children and social media is becoming a major political issue in the EU as young people spend an increasing share of their lives online.
In 2024, 97% of young people in the EU used the internet daily, while more than 80% used social media every day, according to Eurostat.
The concern is no longer just about children encountering harmful or inappropriate content. Policymakers are increasingly focusing on how platforms are designed to keep users online. Features such as recommendation algorithms, endless scrolling, notifications and “likes” can encourage prolonged and potentially unhealthy use. Research has also linked excessive screen time and problematic social media use with mental-health and wellbeing concerns.
This wider debate is at the heart of the report. The report examines issues including cyberbullying, harmful content, disinformation, body-image pressures, self-harm material, manipulative advertising and addictive platform design. At the same time, it recognises that social media can benefit young people by supporting creativity, communication, education and civic participation.
The report has involved several European Parliament committees, reflecting how the issue cuts across consumer protection, privacy, children’s rights, education, gender equality and artificial intelligence.
The Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee approved the report on 14 July by 17 votes to three, with four abstentions.
The report further argues that protecting young people online should not rest solely on parents and users. Instead, it calls for platforms to make their services safer by design, including through privacy-by-design and safety-by-default measures, and to address features that can contribute to addictive behaviour and exposure to harmful content.
The report does not itself introduce new laws. If approved by the full Parliament, it would instead increase political pressure on the European Commission and EU governments to strengthen existing rules, including the Digital Services Act and GDPR.
Ruotolo also expects Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to mention this in the State of the Union address tomorrow Morning, according to todays press briefing.
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