Action plan against cyberbullying – protecting children online

Cyberbullying can take place on social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms and in other online environments. It has emerged as one of the most pressing online safety concerns for minors and young people in Europe. 1 in 6 adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, and 1 in 8 admit to having participated in it. The trend has been confirmed by the EU’s Safer Internet Centres. In the last 5 years, cyberbullying has been the main topic of the calls to their helplines (14% of all calls).

In response to this growing epidemic and to the demands for action from citizens and young people, the Commission has adopted an action plan against cyberbullying. This initiative, announced in President von der Leyen’s political guidelines 2024-2029, aims to give children, parents, carers and educators the tools they need to report and combat cyberbullying. To prepare the action plan, the Commission has consulted a wide variety of stakeholders, via targeted and public consultations including children, researchers, experts and the wider public.   

The action plan focuses on 3 pillars to boost the response to cyberbullying:

A coordinated EU approach to protection

The Commission will continue to enforce existing laws and expand their focus on cyberbullying. The action plan invites member states to develop national cyberbullying policies based on a common understanding of cyberbullying.

Prevention and awareness

The action plan aims to promote healthy, responsible digital habits from an early age to prevent and raise awareness of cyberbullying. The Commission will provide various EU-level tools, created with input from children, parents, educators, mental health experts, member states, and organisations like Safer Internet Centres.

Reporting and support

The action plan aims to ensure that everyone, especially victims, bystanders, parents and carers, have clear, trusted, and accessible ways to report abuse and obtain comprehensive help. The Commission will support the implementation of an online safety app across all member states, enabling children and young people to easily report cyberbullying, store and submit evidence, and receive tailored assistance.

The action plan complements the existing measures in place for protecting minors online:

• The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires platforms accessible to minors to maintain high privacy, safety, and security standards. The Commission launched investigations into platforms failing to protect minors and published guidelines for protection of minors (also available in a family-friendly version in all languages).
• The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) protects children on video sharing platforms and will be reviewed to consider updates for enhanced online child protection.
• The AI Act not only prohibits systems that manipulate or deceive people, including children, in harmful ways, but also establishes rules around labelling deepfakes to prevent deception.

These policies are complemented by the Better Internet for Kids strategy (BIK+), via the multilingual online resources available on the BIK Portal and via the EU co-funded network of Safer Internet Centres. These centres provide support tools for children, parents, carers, educators and professionals on the ground at national level.

To further build on this, a blueprint for an age verification solution was released in July 2025. The Commission is currently piloting this solution with member states, platforms and users. The solution will not only prevent minors from accessing age-restricted content and products online but also preserve in full their privacy and anonymity.

Find an overview of the legal and policy framework for tackling cyberbullying (PDF).

The Commission is also seeking expert advice to explore potential social media age restrictions and will conduct an EU-wide inquiry into social media's impact on mental health and wellbeing.

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