MEP Sandro Ruotolo holds a press conference following the committee vote  of the Committee on Culture and Education on a report on the “impact of social media and online environment on young people”.

Press conference on the impact of social media and the internet on young people

Social media/protecting children. On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss solutions to improve the protection of children and their mental health from risks attached to social media use.

Debate: Protecting children from risks of social media

MEPs propose bans on harmful practices like addictive design and gambling-like game features, and a minimum age of 16 for social media access.

Parliament debates and votes on a report calling for accelerating the enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act and the AI Act, while closing legal gaps to ensure online services are safe for minors to use. Sounding the alarm over the mental health risks and rising social media addiction among children and adolescents, MEPs want to ban the most harmful addictive practices for minors and for the EU to take action against persuasive technologies and practices such as targeted ads, influencer marketing, addictive design, loot boxes and dark patterns. The text proposes a common EU-wide minimum age threshold of 16 years for accessing social media platforms and the development of privacy preserving age assurance systems.

EP Plenary debate on the protection of minors online

Press conference on Impact of social media on young people

EP Plenary Session - Protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media – our duty to act now

EP Plenary Session - Child sexual abuse online: protect children, not perpetrators

EP Plenary Session - Voting session

IMCO - Protecting minors from sexualised AI content on TikTok and X/Grok: Implications under the DSA

EP Plenary session - Tackling AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media by making full use of the EU’s digital rules

EP Plenary session - Protection of minors online

Rapporteur Sandro RUOTOLO (S&D, IT) holds a press conference following the committee vote of the Committee on Culture and Education on a report on the “impact of social media and online environment on young people”. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Sandro RUOTOLO (S&D, IT), rapporteur on the Impact of social media and online environment on young people

MEPs debate on protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media and Glenn MICALLEF, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, replies. MEPs engage in a key debate with Commissioner Glen Micallef on enhancing the protection of children and their mental health from social media risks. Proposed responses by Parliament include setting a minimum age for social media access and strengthening EU action to regulate online platforms.

Commission statement - Protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media – our duty to act now: MEPs debate and reply by Glenn MICALLEF, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport

Political group speakers take the floor prior to the debate on protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media. MEPs engage in a key debate with Commissioner Glen Micallef on enhancing the protection of children and their mental health from social media risks. Proposed responses by Parliament include setting a minimum age for social media access and strengthening EU action to regulate online platforms.

Commission statement - Protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media – our duty to act now: one round of political group speakers

Glenn MICALLEF, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, opens the debate on protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media. The transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please, check against delivery. MEPs engage in a key debate with Commissioner Glen Micallef on enhancing the protection of children and their mental health from social media risks. Proposed responses by Parliament include setting a minimum age for social media access and strengthening EU action to regulate online platforms.

Commission statement - Protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media – our duty to act now: opening statement by Glenn MICALLEF, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport

This news itam shows extracts from the debate on protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media during the plenary in Strasbourg. MEPs urge to act urgently with comprehensive legislation combining platform accountability, age verification, digital literacy, and enforcement to protect children's mental health and safety online.

Protecting children’s safety and mental health from the risks posed by social media: extracts from the debate

MEPs vote on : (26/02) GERMAIN BUDG Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers following an application from Belgium - EGF/2025/004 BE/Tupperware / (A10-0007/2026) CEPEDA, CUNHA IMCO/LIBE Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law / (23/02) VALET LIBE EU/Ecuador Agreement: cooperation between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Ecuadorian authorities competent for combatting serious crime and terrorism / (25/02) CREMER AFET Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning an enhanced EU-Canada cooperation in the light of the current geopolitical context, including the threats to Canada’s economic stability and sovereignty

Voting Session

Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy and Marilena RAOUNA, Deputy Minister for European Affairs (Cyprus), close the debate. Parliament call for stronger and faster enforcement of EU laws to prevent AI tools from creating illegal sexual content. The debate with Council and Commission follows the latest scandal related to reports the social media platform X is facilitating the creation of sexually explicit images of women and children through its AI chatbot Grok. In recent weeks, the platform has been subjected to international condemnation, with several governments banning the platform and others launching investigations into this so-called “pornification” feature putting women and minors at risk of abuse.

Tackling AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media: closing statements by Henna VIRKKUNEN, European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty Security and Democracy and Marilena RAOUNA, Deputy Minister for European Affairs European Union (Cyprus)

MEPs debate on tackling AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media. Parliament call for stronger and faster enforcement of EU laws to prevent AI tools from creating illegal sexual content. The debate with Council and Commission follows the latest scandal related to reports the social media platform X is facilitating the creation of sexually explicit images of women and children through its AI chatbot Grok. In recent weeks, the platform has been subjected to international condemnation, with several governments banning the platform and others launching investigations into this so-called “pornification” feature putting women and minors at risk of abuse.

protection of minors online (T)

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