Open letter calls for stricter regulation of platforms

• 09/16/2026

With regard to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address, 144 organisations and supporters have published an open letter. In the letter, they call on the European Commission to hold digital service providers more accountable and to ensure that platforms are designed to be safe for children by default.

The signatories support the report by the European Commission’s expert panel and emphasise its focus on ‘safety by design’ and age-appropriate design. They also welcome the recommendation that providers must demonstrate that the services accessible to children are safe. They call on President von der Leyen to use the State of the European Union address to commit to a harmonised EU approach that makes safety a condition for the provision of digital services to children.

Specifically, they are calling for the introduction of mandatory, age-appropriate safety norms for digital products and services. These should enable the blocking of high-risk features and functions, as well as the implementation of positive safeguards, on a age-tiered basis. Before launching, operating or updating services accessible to children, providers should be required to carry out independent risk assessments on child safety and demonstrate compliance with the regulations. Independent auditing and enforcement of regulations should ensure greater safety for minors in the digital environment.

The open letter from the 5 Rights Foundation is signed by the Stiftung Digitale Chancen and can be read here.