Protection of minors online

Amendments tabled for the plenary sitting on this text, in their own numbering series. This is a different set from the committee amendments tracked elsewhere on AmendEU, and is not counted in any of the site’s amendment totals.

1. Amendment 1Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 1 a (new)
   Amendment

   1a. Calls for the swift and effective implementation of the surveillance and sanction measures provided for in Regulation (EU) 2017/2394, Regulation (EU) 2019/10201a, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, and Regulation (EU) 2023/9881b when online platforms offer or sell illegal, dangerous or non-compliant products, in order to ensure a high level of consumer protection, with particular attention to minors as a highly vulnerable group requiring reinforced safeguards, notably to combat child sexual abuse; considers that these measures remain insufficient and that actions such as the temporary or even permanent suspension of the website concerned should be easily and swiftly applicable at national level;…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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2. Amendment 2Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 18 a (new)
   Amendment

   18a. Stresses that the protection of minors requires targeted and effective measures, while emphasising that the fight against child sexual abuse cannot justify disproportionate intrusions into privacy and the confidentiality of correspondence; points out in this regard that the ‘Chat Control’ proposal exemplifies such disproportionate measures, as it would mandate the preventive scanning of all EU citizens’ private communications, constituting a disproportionate intrusion into privacy in disregard of Article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantees respect for private and family life, home and communications;

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3. Amendment 3Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 28
   Current text

   28. Calls for the establishment of a harmonised European digital age limit of 16 as the default threshold under which access to online social media platforms should not be allowed unless parents or guardians have authorised their children otherwise; calls for the same age limit to apply to video-sharing platforms and AI companions that present risks to minors; calls, furthermore, for a harmonised European digital age limit of 13, under which no minor can access social media platforms; calls on the panel of experts commissioned by President von der Leyen to assess, as part of their mandate, the application of an age limit of 13 for video-sharing services and AI companions; stresses that this…

   Amendment

   28. Recognises the diverse perspectives among Member States regarding appropriate age limits for access to online social media platforms, for video-sharing services and AI companions; stresses that establishing digital age limits remains within the remit of Member States; calls for any age limits to be determined in consultation with child development experts and psychologists; recognises that while a coordinated European approach regarding an age limit of 13 could be beneficial, Member States should retain the flexibility to set appropriate thresholds based on expert guidance and their own cultural, educational and parental approaches, with provisions allowing minors to access platforms wit…

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4. Amendment 4Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 17
   Current text

   17. Welcomes the Commission’s risk-based approach taken in its guidelines for effective, proportionate and privacy-preserving age assurance mechanisms to protect minors online, in accordance with the DSA; highlights that the Commission considers the use of access restrictions supported by age verification methods an appropriate and proportionate measure to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors; calls on the Commission to present, if necessary, appropriate legislative measures to provide legal certainty and ensure a harmonised approach for safe and reliable age assurance mechanisms, taking into account the Commission guidelines on the protection of minors throughout t…

   Amendment

   17. Notes the Commission’s risk-based approach taken in its guidelines for effective, proportionate and privacy-preserving age assurance mechanisms to protect minors online, in accordance with the DSA; highlights that the Commission considers the use of access restrictions supported by age verification methods an appropriate and proportionate measure to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors; recognises, however, that decisions on concrete measures in this field fall primarily within the competence of the Member States; calls on the Commission to continue providing guidance and facilitating cooperation and, only if necessary and with full respect for Member States’ pr…

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5. Amendment 5Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 20
   Current text

   20. Stresses that age assurance mechanisms are not a silver bullet for protecting minors from the many risks they face online; emphasises that such tools cannot remove platforms’ accountability for ensuring their products are safe and appropriate for minors by design and by default; encourages the development of versions of social media services that are age-appropriate for minors;

   Amendment

   20. Stresses that age assurance mechanisms are not a silver bullet for protecting minors from the many risks they face online and are prone to cybersecurity attacks, privacy intrusions, leaks of data and sensitive personal information and are easy to circumvent; expresses concern that mandatory EU age verification requirements could undermine online anonymity, with a potentially chilling effect on free speech; emphasises further that parents play a central role in ensuring safe online behaviour, and that their role cannot be replaced by legal measures or state involvement; underlines that strengthening education and awareness for both parents and children remains the most effective long-term…

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6. Amendment 6Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 23
   Current text

   23. Encourages collaboration between the Member States that have already developed digital tools for effective age verification and the Commission in order to develop a strong and effective age verification tool at EU level, ensuring full respect for the technical specifications derived from the eIDAS2 Regulation;

   Amendment

   23. Encourages collaboration between the Member States that have already developed digital tools for effective age verification and the Commission, with a view to exchanging best practices and supporting voluntary interoperability, while stressing that the introduction and enforcement of age-verification systems fall exclusively within the competence of the Member States, particularly as such systems require societal acceptance and must reflect public discourse as well as the diverse positions of parents across the Member States;

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7. Amendment 7Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 24
   Current text

   24. Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to provide an EU-wide solution by developing an age-verification app and the EU Digital Identity (eID) Wallet; recommends that the Commission further invest in privacy-preserving systems, such as zero-knowledge proof protocols, building on the principles of minimal exposure and data minimisation; calls on the Commission to ensure that age assurance mechanisms that are deployed are accurate, effective, reliable, robust, non-intrusive, privacy-preserving and non-discriminatory by design, and do not incentivise the development of technologies that rely on the surveillance of users, in particular minors, nor on the deployment of other unethical technological…

   Amendment

   24. Notes the Commission’s efforts to provide an EU-wide solution by developing an age-verification app and the EU Digital Identity (eID) Wallet; recommends that the Commission further invest in privacy-preserving systems, such as zero-knowledge proof protocols, building on the principles of minimal exposure and data minimisation; stresses that any EU-level initiatives in this area must remain voluntary, respect national prerogatives and avoid the creation of a mandatory or centralised EU-wide tool; calls on the Commission to ensure that age assurance mechanisms that are deployed are accurate, effective, reliable, robust, non-intrusive, privacy-preserving and non-discriminatory by design, an…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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8. Amendment 8Motion for a resolution · Paragraph 25
   Current text

   25. Emphasises that individuals should be granted access to online platforms that use the easiest, safest and most privacy-friendly option by default; considers that, to date, the eID Wallet fulfils these objectives; calls on the Commission to ensure that any age assurance mechanisms put on the market to allow access to online services are not based on tracking or profiling of individuals, and fulfil a maximum level of privacy and accuracy for the verification of the users’ age; stresses the need to ensure that online platforms only receive a yes or no response to a query on whether a user is of a certain age, rather than identifying a user; calls on the Commission to introduce a principle o…

   Amendment

   25. Calls on the Commission to ensure that any age assurance mechanisms put on the market to allow access to online services are not based on tracking or profiling of individuals, and fulfil a maximum level of privacy and are designed to prevent risks of data breaches or identity theft; stresses the need to ensure that online platforms only receive a yes or no response to a query on whether a user is of a certain age, rather than identifying a user; calls on the Commission to introduce a principle of non-linkability to ensure that neither governments nor online platforms can trace on which service users have used their age assurance tool;

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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