"This report comes during a unique window of opportunity. We have heard from parents, educators, experts, and young people themselves. We have heard the experience from partners as well as our Member States. Now we need action at European level."Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

As announced in the 2025 State of the Union address, President von der Leyen set up a special panel of experts to develop a strong and practical European approach to keep children safe online.

The panel's co-chairs presented their final report in July 2026. The report highlights the critical challenges children face online and provides recommendations and inspiration on better protecting and empower them, as well as on the age-appropriate use of social media and other digital services.

The panel also prepared a series of tips for parents and young people to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.

Tips for parents and caregivers

The Commission will reflect on the Panel's recommendations and put forward proposals to better protect children online.

The panel has brought together young people and experts from across the EU, including in health, neuroscience, psychology, computer science, child rights, and digital literacy.

From March to June 2026, the panel met three times to explore both the opportunities and the risks of children spending time online. Discussions looked at how to better support parents and caregivers, while highlighting key lessons and good practices from across the EU and beyond.

The panel discussions have been based on the latest research and real-life experiences of children and families. Insights from young people and citizens – via initiatives such as thePresident’s Youth Advisory BoardandCitizens’ Panels– have been a key part of this work.

Director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research

Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Ulm University Medical Centre

Kimmo Alho, Emeritus of psychology at University of Helsinki, specialised in cognitive neuroscience, brain mechanisms of attention and function in digital spaces

Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director, 5Rights Foundation

Gabriele Battimelli, BIK+ ambassador Italy

Elena Bozzola, paediatrician and Secretary and National Councillor of the Italian Society of Paediatrics (online participation)

Matthias Brand, Head of Department of Psychology, Duisburg University

Jutta Croll, Chairwoman of the Board of Stiftung Digitale Chancen

Sigge Eriksson, National Council of Swedish Children and Youth Organisations, Sweden

Jeff Hancock, Founding Director, Stanford Social Media Lab (online participation)

Pavel Kordik, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information Technology CTU in Prague (online participation)

Marta Lamarosa Gonçalves, Better Internet for Kids+ ambassador Portugal

Sonia Livingstone, OBE, Professor of Social Psychology, Director of the Digital Future for Children Centre, London School of Economics

Elvira Mentzelioti, Hellenic National Youth Council, Greece

Servane Mouton, Medical doctor, neurologist and neuropsychologist

James O’Higgins Norman, Professor of Education and society, Director of anti-bullying centre, UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying

Maja Olszewska, BIK+ ambassador Poland

Brian O’Neil, Emeritus Professor at Technological University Dublin

Leo Pekkala, Digital literacy expert, Deputy Director of KAVI

Soledad Pera, Associate Professor, Web Information Systems group of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science TU Delft

Hanne-Mari Schiøtz Thorud, physiologist and Professor at the National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care at the University of South-Eastern Norway

Lore Sleeckx, Flemish Youth Council

Piotr Toczyski, Researcher at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Antonia Torrens, President, COFACE – Families Europe

Rareș Voicu, Senior policy and advocacy manager, European Youth Forum

Alexandra Weilenmann, Professor of Interaction Design, Head of Human-Computer Interaction Unit at the Department of Applied Information Technology at University of Gothenburg

Mehdi Arfaoui, Sociologist, Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) & École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)

Leanda Barrington-Leach, Executive Director, 5Rights Foundation

Tobiáš Bruno Galia, President’s Youth Advisory Board, Czech Council of Children and Youth

Urs Buscke, Senior Legal Officer, European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)

Alex Cooney, CEO & Co-founder, CyberSafeKids

María del Mar España Martí, Director Plataforma Control Z, Former Director of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (DPA)

Marina Fernández, President, Adolescencia lliure de movils

Louise Flynn, Assistant Professor in Teacher Education, Trinity College Dublin – School of Education

Catalina Goanta, Associate Professor in Private Law and Technology, Utrecht University (NL)

Rasmus Kjedahl, Director, Børns Vilkår

Petra Kogelnig, Secretary-General, European Parents’ Association

Marta Lamarosa Gonçalves, Better Internet for Kids (BIK)+ Youth Ambassador

Giovanna Mascheroni, Professor, Department of Communication, Catholic University Milan

Helen Mason, Executive Director, Child Helpline International

Servane Mouton, Medical Doctor, Neurologist and Neuropsychologist

María Soledad Pera, Associate Professor, Web Information Systems group of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science TU Delft

Tanja Petelin, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Université de Poitiers

Jessica Piotrowski, Professor, Amsterdam School of Communication, University of Amsterdam

Declan Qualter, Practice Placement Supervisor and PhD candidate, School of Education, University College Dublin

Judith Simon, Professor for Ethics in Information Technologies, University of Hamburg

Petr Slovak, Associate Professor in Human Computer Interaction, King's college London

Elisabeth Staksrud, Professor, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo

Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon, Research Leader, Law, Science, Technology & Society Research Group, VUB

Argyris Stringaris, Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University College London

Lisa Thorell, Professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet

Martina Tóthová, President’s Youth Advisory Board; Youth Council of Slovakia

Mieke Visser-Schuurman, Director of Child Rights & Capacity Building, Eurochild

Niels Zagema, President’s Youth Advisory Board; Nationale Jeugdraad

This page was last updated on 13 July 2026