Regulate tech, not kids, say 130+ organisations and experts ahead of EU State of the Union

More than 130 organisations and experts in child rights call for Europe-wide framework for digital safety ahead of State of the European Union address.

132 organisations and experts working across child rights, digital rights and mental health have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of her State of the European Union address, calling for a harmonised European framework to make technology safe for children by design and default.

The intervention comes as children’s online safety is expected to feature prominently in President von der Leyen’s address on 16 September, following the publication of the European Commission’s expert panel report on child safety online over the summer.

While the Commission has signalled its intention to act on the report’s recommendations, it remains unclear what form that action will take. The signatories are urging President von der Leyen to pursue a transformative approach that addresses the safety of technology itself, rather than relying primarily on denying children access to digital services wholesale.

The letter comes weeks after France’s Constitutional Council struck down legislation that would have introduced a blanket ban on social media for under-15s. The court highlighted concerns about applying broad restrictions and infringing on children’s rights, without adequately accounting for the differing risks posed by individual services or the circumstances of individual children.

In their letter, the signatories welcome the EU Commission’s expert panel’s report for its focus on safety-by-design and age-appropriate design. They support the recommendation that providers should bear the burden of demonstrating that services accessible to children are safe.

They are calling on President von der Leyen to use the State of the European Union address to commit to a harmonised EU approach that makes safety a condition of providing digital services to children.

They recommend establishing:

Mandatory age-appropriate safety norms for digital products and services, with age-tiered gating of risky features and functionalities as well as positive safeguards.
Independent risk assessments on child safety and pre-certification processes requiring companies to demonstrate compliance before launching, operating or updating services accessible to children.
Independent auditing and strong enforcement to ensure compliance.

Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director of at 5Rights Foundation who organised the joint statement said,

“Europeans have had enough of tech companies exploiting our children, but we also expect more from our leaders than quick-fix bans on kids, while toxic services continue to thrive.

“Children need and deserve safe, age-appropriate digital services. The EU has the power to set a bar and require tech companies to prove they meet it before accessing children. It’s a perfectly reasonable and feasible ask, which will benefit children and humanity for generations to come.”

Mieke Schuurman, Director of Child Rights and Capacity Building at Eurochild said,

‘’Children should not be expected to carry the burden of keeping themselves safe in digital environments designed to maximise engagement and profit.

“The EU has an opportunity to set a clear standard grounded in children’s rights: digital services accessible to children must be safe by design and by default, backed by independent risk assessments and strong enforcement.“

Eve Geddie, Director of the European Institutions Office of Amnesty International said,

“We are finally seeing major political momentum for fundamental changes to the design of social media platforms after years of civil society advocacy and warnings about the harms of Big Tech’s reckless pursuit of user engagement.

“It is time for the EU to set new robust standards for safe online platforms that place children’s rights and safety at the heart of the process. European regulators must not settle for a blanket teen ban, which fails to address the core issues regarding the addictive and manipulative design features embedded in leading social media platforms. Binding safety standards are needed that translate children’s rights in the digital environment into concrete design requirements.”

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