Commission adopts DSA guidelines for protecting children online
On 14 July 2025, the European Commission published comprehensive guidelines under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to enhance the protection of minors online. These guidelines outline a non-exhaustive set of proportionate and appropriate measures for online platforms, excluding micro and small enterprises, to safeguard children from risks such as grooming, exposure to harmful content, problematic usage, cyberbullying, and manipulative commercial practices. The measures include setting minors’ accounts to private by default, modifying recommender systems to limit harmful content, empowering children with blocking and muting tools, and restricting the downloading or sharing of minors’ content to prevent abuse.
Further recommendations target features that may encourage excessive use, such as disabling communication streaks, autoplay, and push notifications by default, and removing design elements that primarily drive engagement. The guidelines also address commercial practices, urging platforms to protect children from manipulative advertising, unwanted spending, and addictive behaviors linked to virtual currencies or loot-boxes. Enhanced moderation and reporting tools, prompt feedback mechanisms, and robust parental control requirements are emphasized to strengthen the overall online safety environment for minors.
The guidelines advocate for effective age assurance methods that are accurate, robust, non-intrusive, and non-discriminatory. Age verification is recommended for restricting access to adult content and services with statutory age limits, while age estimation may be used for platforms with lower age thresholds. The forthcoming EU Digital Identity Wallets and the existing blueprint for device-based age verification provide reference standards for compliance. The guidelines follow a risk-based approach, recognizing the diverse risks posed by different platforms according to their size, purpose, and user base, and are grounded in children’s rights with a safety and privacy by design ethos.
While these guidelines do not carry binding force, they will serve as a reference for assessing compliance with Article 28(1) of the DSA and may inform national regulatory enforcement. The development process included stakeholder workshops, public consultations, and engagement with children and experts, ensuring broad input. Platforms are expected to balance protective measures with the need to avoid undue restrictions on children’s rights. The Commission will utilize these guidelines to monitor and evaluate the adequacy of measures implemented by platforms accessible to minors.
