"For decades, we have made the real world safer for children and we must do the same in the digital world. The positive opportunities that technology offers cannot come at the cost of their safety, health or happiness."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
About the panel
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has set up a special panel of experts to help develop a strong and practical European approach to keep children safe online.
Announced in the 2025 State of the Union address, 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.
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 the President’s Youth Advisory Board and Citizens’ Panels – have been a key part of this work.
Online safety of children- the best EU-wide approach to keeping children safe online
- a common EU age limit for social media with protections adapted to age and risk
- education to encourage safe and responsible use of social media
Children's use of online platforms- risks and benefits of children's use of social media, gaming, messaging apps and AI tools
- effects on their health and wellbeing at different ages
Responsibility of online platforms- responsibility of tech companies in protecting children
- ways to strengthen existing safety measures
Progress of the panel
- 13 July 2026
The panel will hand over its report to President von der Leyen. The Commission will then consider the recommendations and determine next steps.
- 16 June 2026
At its third and final meeting, the panel reflected on key lessons learned and best practices from the EU and partner countries. The discussion highlighted how important it is to support parents and caretakers to keep children safe online.
- 16 April 2026
At its second meeting, the panel discussed EU rules to protect minors and looked at approaches in other countries, such as Australia's minimum age for social media.
- 5 March 2026
The panel met for the first time to review the risks and benefits of children’s online use. They also discussed current approaches to online safety in the EU and beyond.
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
Participants in the first meeting
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
Participants in the second meeting
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
Participants in the third meeting
- Louise Heeran Flynn, Assistant Professor in Teacher Education, Trinity College Dublin – School of Education
- Lies Craeynest, Founder, KidsUnplugged
- Jutta Croll, Chairwoman of the Board of Stiftung Digitale Chancen
- Alberto Monge Roffarello, Assistant Professor, Politecnico di Torino
- Kai Rannenberg, Chair of Mobile Business and Multilateral Security, Goethe University Frankfurt
- Christoph Pieh, Head of Department, University for Continuing Education Krems
- Urs Buscke, Senior Legal Officer, European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
- Théo Mouhoud, Child Psychiatrist, Hopitaux de Paris
- Eva Möhler, Chair and Clinical Doctor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Kerstin Paschke, Medical Specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
- Petra Kogelnig, Secretary-General, European Parents’ Association
- Laura Vandenbosch, Associate professor and Director of the Media Psychology Lab, KU Leuven
- Sørine Vesth Rasmussen, Advisor on children’s rights and tech policy, Børns Vilkår
- Marta Lamarosa Gonçalves, Better Internet for Kids (BIK)+ Youth Ambassador
- Dimitris Tsalavos, BIK Youth Ambassador
- Anna Schwabegger, Chair of the Austrian National Youth Council
- Aisling Maloney, PYAB and National Youth Council of Ireland
- Maya Katkovska,Head, Latvian Safer Internet Centre
- Konstantinos Karachalios, Advisor to the Executive Director, IEEE and Board Member, 5Rights Foundation
- Mie Oehlenschlager, Independent researcher and advisor (DK)
- Ana Caballero, Chair, Expert Group to improve the protection of minors in the digital realm
- Lisa Thorell, Professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
- Servane Mouton, Medical doctor, neurologist and neuropsychologist
- Owen Bennett, Independent expert in the regulation of digital technologies (UK)
- Lucas Borges, Superintendent of Regulation, Brazilian Data Protection Agency
- Giovanna Mascheroni, Professor, Department of Communication, Catholic University Milan
- Beckett LeClair, Head of Technology, 5Rights Foundation
This page was last updated on 16 June 2026