Protecting children from bullying and harmful content online will be one of the priorities of the annual forum for a safer internet, which takes place today in Brussels and online.

Ms. Viera Jourova, Vice President for Values ​​and Transparency, will join the forum together with policymakers, researchers, law enforcement, children and adolescents, parents, educators, NGOs and other experts, to discuss the importance of safeguarding safe online experiences and protecting children from inappropriate content and cyberbullying.

Young people will actively contribute to the organization and direction of the event. Participants will discuss how the Digital Services Act can contribute to exploring the risks associated with harmful content and harmful behavior online, including cyberbullying, and exchange views on tools and strategies that can mitigate these risks.

The Vice President Mrs. Yurova said: “I urged digital platforms to focus on children and find ways to protect them from social media addiction, cyberbullying, content that promotes self-harm, as well as find ways to stop the rise of depression and children’s anxiety. We are facing a pandemic of mental health problems. And we should ask ourselves if we are offering a world that is attractive enough for children to get out of the internet rabbit holes. We have the political will in the Commission to make child protection an absolute priority, which is an extremely urgent and vital need.”

The forum brings together a range of people, both live and online, to discuss building a safer internet for children and young people.

George Fellidis