The European Parliament demands a stronger EU response to cyberbullying

The European Parliament has focused on the rise in online harassment and is calling for a stronger response from the European Union . The data is alarming: one in six teenagers reports having been cyberbullied , and one in eight admits to having bullied others, highlighting the scale of a problem that continues to grow.

The European Parliament believes that current measures , both at the national and European levels, have fallen short of curbing this trend . Therefore, it calls for stronger legislation , improved protection for victims, and greater accountability from digital platforms to ensure safe environments, especially for minors.

In a resolution approved this Thursday by a show of hands, the plenary calls for “effective and dissuasive” sanctions for cyberbullying offenses, facilitating the reporting of cases and closing existing legal loopholes in the EU , with the aim of recognizing the magnitude and seriousness of the problem.

CRIMINAL MEASURES AND LEGAL LOOPHOLES

In this context, MEPs are asking the Commission to assess the need for a harmonised definition of cyberbullying across the EU and to study whether it should be classified as a cross-border crime.

They also open the door to including hate crimes in the list of European crimes , which would cover the most serious cases. Furthermore, the resolution laments the lack of a European legal framework for detecting child sexual abuse material online and calls on the Commission to act swiftly to ensure that digital platforms implement voluntary reporting mechanisms. In this regard, they reiterate that these companies must guarantee a safe digital space for minors.

MORE CONTROL OVER PLATFORMS AND SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS

Parliament insists that platforms must assume their responsibility in preventing and combating cyberbullying . It warns that some business models encourage the spread of hate speech, which particularly affects minors, women, and the LGBTIQ+ community. It also criticizes hyper-personalized recommendation systems, arguing that they foster polarized discourse.

The MEPs also call for stricter enforcement of Article 28 of the Digital Services Act (DSA) , which focuses on protecting minors, urge the Commission to close the open cases, and reject any attempt to reopen this legislation. They warn of the increasing use of artificial intelligence to generate abusive content, such as deepfakes or non-consensual intimate material, and call on providers to comply with the AI ​​Act’s labeling obligations. They also reiterate the need to ban so-called “nude generation apps ,” which are currently under negotiation.

The text underscores the importance of strengthening protection and support for victims, increasing funding for organizations that assist them, and integrating online harassment into national mental health strategies. It also calls on Member States to prioritize prevention, education, and awareness-raising efforts targeting children, parents, and educators, and to swiftly implement the European Directive on victims’ rights.

Cyberbullying has become a growing threat to the safety and well-being of children and young people online, with serious and lasting consequences. According to the European Parliament, 92% of EU citizens are calling on authorities to take action against this problem. In response, the Commission presented a specific action plan against cyberbullying in February 2026.

Despite initiatives in some countries, such as Ireland with the “COCO Act”, legal fragmentation in the EU remains a reality.