EU unveils cyberbullying action plan, puts reporting app for minors at core

​​​​​​​By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European Commission unveiled an EU-wide Action Plan Against Cyberbullying on Tuesday, placing a new mobile application at the center of efforts to help children and teens report online abuse and receive support more easily.

The plan aims to protect young people's mental health online by improving reporting mechanisms, coordinating national responses across the bloc and strengthening prevention through digital literacy and safer online practices, according to a statement.

A key pillar of the initiative is the rollout of an accessible EU-wide app that will allow victims to report harassment to national helplines, securely store evidence, and receive tailored support.

The EU Commission will develop a common blueprint for the app, which member states will be able to adapt, translate and connect to their national services.

"We want to boost healthy and responsible digital practices from an early age to help prevent cyberbullying," Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said at a news conference, warning that many young people are "too often left feeling sad and left out" because of online abuse.

The plan also seeks a more coordinated EU approach, urging member states to develop comprehensive national strategies and adopt a common definition of cyberbullying to improve data collection and comparison across countries.

As part of the initiative, the EU Commission will build on existing EU legislation, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Planned steps include reviewing DSA guidelines on the protection of minors, adopting guidelines on "trusted flaggers" to tackle illegal content such as cyberbullying, and strengthening transparency rules on AI-generated content that could be misused for online harassment.

Prevention is another core element of the plan, with a focus on promoting healthy and responsible digital behavior from an early age.

According to the EU Commission, around one in six children, aged 11 to 15, in the EU report having been victims of cyberbullying, while a recent Eurobarometer survey showed more than 90% of Europeans consider urgent public action necessary to protect children online.