Dossier · Own-initiative report

Impact of social media and the online environment on young people

Reference: 2025/2081(INI) Own-initiative report
Where it stands: Parliament adopted the text on 17 September 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
Stage: Parliament’s position
Lead committee: Culture and Education CULT

More facts (6)

Author: Sandro RUOTOLO
Shadow rapporteurs: 7 members
Decisions in plenary: 1
Last vote: 17 Sept 2026 · Adopted
Versions: 3 versions
Opinions from: IMCO, FEMM, LIBE

Author: Sandro RUOTOLO
Shadow rapporteurs: 7 members
Decisions in plenary: 1
Last vote: 17 Sept 2026 · Adopted
Versions: 3 versions
Opinions from: IMCO, FEMM, LIBE

Cite this page

Legislative Observatory

Link to this page

Where it stands

The steps of this kind of dossier and how far it has come, from the procedure file.

Referred to committee (done) 8 May 2025
Committee work (done) Report adopted 14 July 2026
Tabled for plenary (done) 28 August 2026
Plenary vote (done) Adopted 17 September 2026
Parliament’s position (done) Final

Parliament sets out its own position on a topic. The resolution is not binding but signals what Parliament wants.

People

Committees and members responsible for the dossier, as the procedure file names them. Groups as recorded there.

Lead committee: Culture and Education CULT
Author: Sandro RUOTOLO (S&D)
Shadow rapporteurs: Sunčana GLAVAK (EPP), Annamária VICSEK (Patriots), Lara MAGONI (ECR), Hristo PETROV (Renew), Diana RIBA I GINER (Greens), Carolina MORACE (The Left), Zsuzsanna BORVENDÉG (ESN)
Opinion: IMCO: Internal Market and Consumer Protection · rapporteur Laura BALLARÍN CEREZA (S&D)
Opinion: FEMM: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality · rapporteur Anna STROLENBERG (Greens)
Opinion: LIBE: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · rapporteur Katarina BARLEY (S&D)

Decisions in plenary, 1

Every decision Parliament took on this dossier, newest first.

**Effect**: what the decision did. **Final vote**: for–against–abstained, and how it was recorded.
Date	Decision	Kind	Effect	Final vote
17 Sept 2026	Impact of social media and the online environment on young people	Resolutions	Adopted	395 for, 136 against, 80 abstained by roll call

Voting grid

Export

Every roll-call vote on the dossier, in date and voting order, with each group's line at the date of the vote.

Each group's clear line at the date of the vote: a position with at least two thirds of the group's votes (at least 10 members voting), otherwise Divided; “< 10 voted” when fewer took part. Result: outcome, for–against–abstained (method).

Voting grid of 2025/2081(INI): one row per roll call, one column per group, then the result.
Vote	The Left	Greens	S&D	Renew	EPP	ECR	Patriots	ESN	Result
17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 63 — part 3	Divided	For	For	For	For	Against	Against	Against	Adopted401–181–29
17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 85 — part 1	For	For	For	For	For	Against	Abst.	Against	Adopted449–100–62
17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 85 — part 2	For	For	For	For	For	Against	Divided	Against	Adopted403–146–50
17 Sept 2026 Recital AD — part 1	For	For	For	For	For	For	For	Divided	Adopted575–13–19
17 Sept 2026 Recital AD — part 2	For	For	For	For	For	Against	Divided	Against	Adopted413–143–50
17 Sept 2026 Final vote — text as a whole	For	For	For	For	For	Against	Divided	Against	Adopted395–136–80

17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 63 — part 3

Adopted 401–181–29

The Left

Divided
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

Against
Patriots

Against
ESN

Against
17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 85 — part 1

Adopted 449–100–62

The Left

For
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

Against
Patriots

Abst.
ESN

Against
17 Sept 2026 Paragraph 85 — part 2

Adopted 403–146–50

The Left

For
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

Against
Patriots

Divided
ESN

Against
17 Sept 2026 Recital AD — part 1

Adopted 575–13–19

The Left

For
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

For
Patriots

For
ESN

Divided
17 Sept 2026 Recital AD — part 2

Adopted 413–143–50

The Left

For
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

Against
Patriots

Divided
ESN

Against
17 Sept 2026 Final vote — text as a whole

Adopted 395–136–80

The Left

For
Greens

For
S&D

For
Renew

For
EPP

For
ECR

Against
Patriots

Divided
ESN

Against

Add members’ columns

Versions, 3

The text of the dossier, version by version, newest first. Compare shows what changed between two consecutive versions.

Adopted by Parliament17 Sept 2026

Adopted text TA10-0313/2026 TA-10-2026-0313

Compare with tabled for plenary
Tabled for plenary28 Aug 2026

Report A10-0220/2026 A-10-2026-0220

Compare with committee draft
Committee draft10 Sept 2025

Draft report (CULT) CULT-PR-776924

Each version in short Written by AI from the official text — check the source

Adopted text TA10-0313/2026: Parliament's resolution on the impact of social media and the online environment on young people sets out an integrated European strategy combining safety and privacy by design, age-appropriate design, algorithmic transparency and privacy-first age verification.
Report A10-0220/2026: Parliament's resolution on the impact of social media and the online environment on young people sets out an integrated European strategy combining safety and privacy by design, algorithmic transparency and privacy-first age verification.
Draft report (CULT): A draft report by Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education on how social media and the online environment affect young people. It calls for a unified EU strategy combining safety-by-design, algorithmic transparency, privacy-first age assurance, digital literacy, participatory governance and evidence-based evaluation.

Report a problem

Committee opinions: Draft opinion (IMCO), Opinion (IMCO), Draft opinion (LIBE), Draft opinion (FEMM)

What changed, 1

Between consecutive versions, newest pair first. The overviews are written by AI from the two texts; the comparison shows every change.

Latest Tabled for plenary → Adopted by Parliament Report A10-0220/2026 → Adopted text TA10-0313/2026

AI: What changed Written by AI from the official text — check the source

The text no longer asks for research data to be broken down by gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, sex characteristics and disability, keeping only a general reference to disaggregated data with privacy safeguards.

Read the changes · Report a problem

Compare the two versions

Timeline, 10

Every recorded step, newest first, grouped by stage; the latest stage is open.

Plenary stage 3 steps · 28 Aug 2026–17 Sept 2026

17 September 2026

Plenary vote

Sitting of 17 Sept 2026 Report A10-0220/2026 Adopted text TA10-0313/2026
9 September 2026

3 amendments tabled for the plenary vote

Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.

Amendments 1–3
28 August 2026

Report tabled for plenary

This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.

Report A10-0220/2026

Committee stage 7 steps · 8 May 2025–14 Jul 2026

14 July 2026

Committee vote: report adopted

CULT (Culture and Education) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
2 March 2026

Committee opinion adopted

The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
26 February 2026

Committee opinion adopted

The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
26 February 2026

IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection) adopted its opinion

The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.

Opinion (IMCO)
19 November 2025

Amendments tabled in committee

Members of CULT (Culture and Education) proposed changes to the draft.

Amendments in committee (CULT)
10 September 2025

Draft report published

The rapporteur’s first text in CULT (Culture and Education). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.

Draft report (CULT)
8 May 2025

Referred to the CULT (Culture and Education) committee

The lead committee prepares the report; IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), FEMM (Women’s Rights and Gender Equality), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) give an opinion.

Connections

Texts, decisions, people and other dossiers related to this one.

Texts voted on

Text REPORT on the impact of social media and the online environment on young people Report A10-0220/2026 17 Sept 2026

Dossiers sharing a running issue

Dossier The need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment 2026/2693(RSP) · Resolution on a topical subject 30 Apr 2026 Adopted
Dossier Protection of minors online 2025/2060(INI) · Own-initiative report 26 Nov 2025 Adopted
Dossier Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast) 2024/0035(COD) · Ordinary legislative procedure 17 Jun 2025 Passed

Sources & citation

Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.

Permalink: https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/dossiers/2025-2081
Official source: Procedure file (Legislative Observatory, OEIL)
Data source: EP Open Data API: procedure record
Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved: 25 September 2026

Cite as

European Parliament (2026). “Impact of social media and the online environment on young people”. Dossier, 17 September 2026. procId 2025-2081, reference 2025/2081(INI). EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/dossiers/2025-2081 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Official source: Procedure file (Legislative Observatory, OEIL), https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/procedure-file?reference=2025%2F2081(INI). Data: EP Open Data API: procedure record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/procedures/2025-2081 (CC BY 4.0).

BibTeX

@misc{epw-dossier-2025-2081,
  author = {{European Parliament}},
  title = {{Impact of social media and the online environment on young people}},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-17},
  howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/dossiers/2025-2081}},
  url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/dossiers/2025-2081},
  urldate = {2026-09-25},
  publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
  note = {Dossier. procId 2025-2081, reference 2025/2081(INI). Official source: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/procedure-file?reference=2025\%2F2081(INI). Data: EP Open Data API: procedure record (CC BY 4.0)}
}