Doherty backs plans to improve online child safety

The European Parliament’s Consumer Affairs Committee has today voted in favour of a blueprint to tackle online child safety, setting out a plan to protect young people in an increasingly AI-driven online world.

Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty has been leading the charge, pushing for tough new measures to curb addictive design features, enforce age limits and protect children from commercial exploitation online.

Among the key suggestions backed today are:

•            Limiting under-16s usage of social media without parental permission, with an absolute ban for under-13s.

•            A crackdown on addictive design tricks and dark patterns for children such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and manipulative reward loops that fuel doom-scrolling.

•            More oversight on “kidfluencers” and a clampdown on online child exploitation, preventing children from being monetised, manipulated, or pressured into constant content creation.

•            Tighter safeguards around AI chatbots and companions for children, recognising that children are already turning to AI for companionship, often with dangerous consequences.

Regina Doherty has made Life Online one of her top priorities. Over recent months, she has met platforms as well as parents and teachers across Europe, to ensure children’s voices and concerns are heard. She also met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola earlier this year to press the case for online child safety to remain at the very top of the EU’s agenda.

“In a fast-moving online world, the EU cannot afford to stand still. This plan shows we are serious about clamping down manipulative design, stopping the commercial exploitation of children and ensuring that no child is left unprotected online,” Doherty said.

“This is Europe saying clearly: enough is enough. Platforms should create safe, child-friendly versions of their apps, free from addictive rabbit holes and harmful content. Parents across Europe have been demanding leadership on this issue, and I am proud to be delivering action at EU level.”

With today’s vote, the blueprint will now go before the full European Parliament in Strasbourg. If adopted, it will become the parliament’s position and then it will be sent to the European Commission.