Tackling cyberbullying through prevention and accountability

Responsibility for preventing cyberbullying must rest primarily with digital platforms rather than with children and young people. This is the central message of a new opinion in which the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for stronger platform accountability, straightforward reporting procedures and meaningful youth participation in the fight against harmful online behaviour.

Cyberbullying is placing children and young people under growing pressure. Social media, messaging applications, video games and other online communities offer extensive opportunities to communicate, learn and participate, but they also expose users to harassment, humiliation, exclusion and other harmful behaviour. Around one in six children aged between 11 and 15 in Europe report having experienced cyberbullying, while approximately one in eight admit to having cyberbullied others. 

In its opinion "Action plan against cyberbullying", adopted at its September plenary session and drafted by rapporteur Michael McLoughlin, the EESC welcomes the European Commission’s initiative but calls for its implementation to be more closely aligned with existing and forthcoming EU legislation, including the Digital Services Act, the AI Act and the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act. 

As the opinion points out: 'The key responsibility for cyberbullying via online platforms should lie with those platforms. Regulatory measures and other actions should be focussed to the greatest extent possible on these companies rather than on the young people who are merely availing of a widely available product.'

Platforms must take responsibility

The EESC supports the Commission’s action plan and its emphasis on the responsibility of online platforms to ensure safety by design. However, it argues that stronger connections are needed between the plan and the wider EU regulatory framework. Existing legislation on data protection, harassment and defamation should also be used more effectively to combat cyberbullying. 

The Committee calls for strong political leadership at European and national level, accompanied by national action plans drawing on successful measures already in place across the EU. It also recommends greater transparency concerning Member States’ policies, their implementation and the areas where national approaches need to converge. 

The Committee warns that some platform design features can influence users' behaviour in ways that are not always transparent. It points to practices such as algorithmic steering, nudging and “doom scrolling”, which can exploit attention and encourage prolonged engagement. It calls for a coordinated response that addresses these practices without creating unnecessary duplication between existing and forthcoming EU legislation. 

Artificial intelligence leads to new risks

The rapid development of artificial intelligence adds a new dimension to cyberbullying. Generative AI can be used to produce fabricated or manipulated content, facilitate extortion and blackmail, or intensify harassment. AI chatbots and companions may also direct conversations in harmful ways or contribute directly to abusive behaviour. 

The EESC therefore calls for the action plan to be firmly aligned with the AI Act and with measures that maintain meaningful human oversight. It welcomes EU rules and guidance intended to improve transparency around AI-generated content, but stresses that their effectiveness must be closely monitored and evaluated. 

Prevention starts with education

The EESC believes that prevention must begin before harmful incidents occur. Children and young people need the skills and confidence to recognise online risks, speak about their experiences and seek help. Parents, teachers, carers, youth workers and civil society organisations also have an essential role to play. 

Children and young people must be meaningfully involved in designing, implementing and evaluating the measures intended to protect them. The EESC supports the contribution of organisations such as Eurochild and the European Youth Forum and argues that their experience should be incorporated into policy development. 

The opinion also draws attention to groups that face heightened exposure to online abuse, including women and girls, children and young people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, ethnic minorities and other marginalised communities. The Committee calls for these vulnerabilities to be prioritised in implementation, monitoring and evaluation, alongside stronger enforcement of measures against hate speech, hate crime and discrimination. 

Reporting should be simple

Victims of cyberbullying need reporting procedures that are accessible, trusted and easy to use. The EESC supports hotlines and straightforward notification procedures, as well as the proposed development of an interoperable online safety application across Member States. However, it warns against overlap and delays and stresses that reporting functions should ideally be integrated directly into the platforms and applications used by children and young people.  The EESC insists that platforms must remain at the centre of the reporting process rather than shifting responsibility onto victims. 

Protection is needed offline too

Although cyberbullying takes place online, the EESC stresses that it cannot be tackled exclusively through digital measures. Children and young people also need safe physical spaces where they can meet, develop supportive relationships and participate in community life. The Committee therefore calls for greater support for youth centres, community centres, sports facilities and other accessible local services. It encourages the EU to work with the Council of Europe and civil society organisations to strengthen these “offline spaces”, including through EU funding programmes. 

Investing in such facilities is not separate from protecting young people online, but an integral part of building their confidence, resilience and well-being.