European Commission launches plan to protect children from digital risks, cyberbullying

Brussels [Belgium], February 11: The European Commission on Tuesday launched a new action plan to protect children and young people from the risks of digitalisation, particularly cyberbullying and online harassment, coinciding with Safer Internet Day.
The Commission stressed the urgency of action amid the growing scale of the phenomenon, noting that one in six children aged between 11 and 15 reported having experienced cyberbullying, while one in eight admitted to engaging in such behaviour online.
The new plan centres on the development of a unified EU-wide application that will enable child and adolescent victims of cyberbullying to access support easily. The app will allow users to report incidents to national helplines, receive psychological support and guidance, and securely store evidence related to bullying cases.
The Commission said the application would help protect minors, enhance accountability for perpetrators and empower victims with effective tools to defend themselves.
A prototype of the app will be developed by the Commission, with EU member states responsible for adapting it, translating it and linking it to relevant national services.
The plan also aims to strengthen coordination among member states in addressing cyberbullying by encouraging governments to develop national action plans and adopt a unified definition of the phenomenon. This would facilitate more accurate data collection and comparison, alongside a review and improvement of existing European initiatives.
Source: Emirates News Agency