In a position paper published in September 2025, Eurochild speaks out against blanket age limits for social media from 15 or 16 years of age. There are fears that a “digital age of majority” could lead to young people being excluded. Instead, the network calls for a child rights-based, evidence-based, and multi-level approach to provide children with safe and inclusive spaces online.
The position paper highlights the three core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): protection, participation and provision. It emphasises that protective measures must not infringe upon children's rights to provision or participation in the digital world.
Eurochild thus emphasizes that children's rights must be fully guaranteed not only offline but also in the digital space, and makes the following policy recommendations:
- Provide child-rights based solutions that do not disproportionately restrict children’s rights online.
- Support safety-by-design regulation that prevents online risks and builds on the responsibility of the online platforms to provide child-rights respecting services.
- Encourage digital literacy initiatives for children, parents, teachers and professionals working with children.
- Strengthen the accountability and transparency of online platforms, including by strengthening the requirements and scrutiny of VLOPs risk assessment reports under the DSA obligations.
- Ensure meaningful child participation in digital policies and design.
The full position paper can be downloaded in English below.