Keep our kids safe online

Why is this important?

“At first, TikTok was just fun.” Maëlle downloaded the app at 14 years old, scrolling through to distract herself from the bullying she experienced at school.

“And then, little by little, it became darker and darker. It kept my head underwater. The more I watched, the deeper I sank.”

Her parents had no idea what she was seeing. Neither did her doctors. By 2022, she had been hospitalised.  

Maëlle is one of many children who’ve been hurt by these platforms. [1]

Social media bosses want to maximise screen time and profit, even when it harms children. Infinite scroll. Autoplay. Algorithms that learn a young person’s insecurities, then push dangerous content to keep them hooked.

Governments are finally listening to children like Maëlle. Courts are ruling against platforms like Meta and YouTube. Some countries are proposing bans and age limits. [2]

But experts warn bans alone won’t keep children safe. Unless platforms themselves are made safer by design, they will continue to face the same harmful features elsewhere online. [3]

Parents and citizens are already speaking up. We need strong rules that force social media companies to protect children - not trap them in addictive and harmful feeds.

Now, with the courts on our side, people power can push Europe to go further. Will you add your voice to make social media safer for kids? [4]

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