Online privacy and safety

ePrivacy

Each time we go online, we are entrusting our personal information to the websites we use and to the companies that provide us with the Internet. This information can range from our names and contact details, to our likes and dislikes, to our credit card information.

EU-wide rules can help protect our data when we browse the internet. Such rules give us greater control over our data and devices. 

ePrivacy rules go hand in hand with other EU initiatives to ensure our privacy online. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ensures our personal data can only be gathered under strict conditions and for legitimate purposes.

Protecting and empowering children and young people online

Nearly 1 in 3 internet users is a child—and children are starting to go online at increasingly younger ages. While the internet offers powerful opportunities for learning, creativity, and social connection, it also exposes children to significant risks. These include cyberbullying, privacy breaches, misinformation, harmful or illegal content, addictive design practices, online grooming, commercial manipulation, and radicalisation.

In February 2026, the Commission has adopted an action plan against cyberbullying. The plan complements the comprehensive EU legal and policy framework to protect and empower children online. At its core are the Digital Services Act (DSA) (with its enforcement and the protection of minors guidelines), the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the Better Internet for Kids strategy (BIK+). The latter is implemented through the network of Safer Internet Centres and the BIK portal.