Changes from resolution motion to resolution motion joint

RemovedB100213/2026

European Parliament resolution on the need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment

(2026/2693(RSP))

The European Parliament,

Removed– having regard to Oral Question O-000018/2026 on the need for targeted criminal provisions on cyberbullying and online harassment and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address these issues, which is addressed to the Commission,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular its articles on human dignity, the right to life, freedom of expression, the rights of the child, victims’ rights, privacy of communications, and the protection of personal data,

Changed– having regard to the EuropeanUnited Nations Convention on Human Rights and the case-lawRights of the European Court of Human Rights,Child,

Changed– having regard to ArticleArticles 83(1) and (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

▸4 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA,

– having regard to Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA (Victims’ Rights Directive),

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) in view of changing market realities,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence,

Changed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act (DSA)),Act),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communicationguidelines of 10 October 2025 entitled ‘Guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, pursuant to Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065’ (C/2025/5519),2022/2065,

Changed– having regard to the Commission reportcommunication of 202510 February 2026 entitled ‘Cyberbullying:‘Action InsightsPlan fromagainst science,cyberbullying policy“Safer andonline, legislation’,stronger together“’ (COM(2026)0071),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communicationreport of 1025 FebruaryNovember 20262025 entitled ‘Action Plan‘Cyberbullying against– cyberbullyingInsights ‘Saferfrom online,science, strongerpolicy together’and (COM(2026)0071),legislation’,

Removed– having regard to the Commission’s LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030 of 20 October 2025,

Removed– having regard to the Commission’s EU anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 of 20 January 2026,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 May 2022 entitled ‘A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+)’ (COM(2022)0212),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2021 entitled ‘A more inclusive and protective Europe: extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime’ (COM(2021)0777),(COM(2021)0777) and the proposal for a Council decision annexed thereto,

Removed– having regard to its resolution of 5 October 2023 on the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+),

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime,

Changed– having regard to national legislation against cyberbullying, including Ireland’s Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, known as ‘Coco’s Law’,

Changed– having regard to the speech delivered by Coco’sJackie Fox, Coco Fox’s mother, Jackieat Fox,the inEuropean Parliament on 10 March 2026 on the occasion of International Women’s Day,

Change 1

Removed– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

Added– having regard to the Commission LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030 of 8 October 2025 (COM(2025)0725),

RemovedA. whereas cyberbullying is a growing problem, as recognised in the Commission’s action plan; whereas 18.3 % of children worldwide have experienced cyberbullying through electronic messages or social media posts; whereas cyberbullying also occurs through audiovisual content such as pictures or videos shared online; whereas in Europe, around one in six children aged 11 to 15 report that they have been victims of cyberbullying; whereas about one in eight children admit to cyberbullying others; whereas between 2018 and 2022, the number of adolescents experiencing cyberbullying rose by a quarter for boys and almost a quarter for girls; whereas over the past five years, cyberbullying has consistently been the main reason for contacting Safer Internet Centres helplines; whereas cyberbullying disproportionately affects those at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities (e.g. girls, LGBTIQ+ youth, children with disabilities, or those from minority backgrounds), and these overlapping identities compound the harm experienced;

Added– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2025 on the protection of minors online,

RemovedB. whereas, in its resolution of 29 April 2021 on the European Child Guarantee, Parliament called on the Member States to develop strategies to protect children from online bullying and child sexual abuse;

Added– having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

RemovedC. whereas the Commission President announced in her 2025 State of the Union speech that she would commission a panel of specialists to advise on the best approach for the EU with regard to child safety online and potential age restrictions for social media use; whereas this special panel is tasked with exploring key issues relating to the safety of children online, such as a harmonised EU age limit for social media, tailored protections based on age and risk, and educational measures to promote responsible social media use; whereas the panel has met twice; whereas by the summer of 2026, the co-Chairs are supposed to report to the Commission President on the panel’s findings and recommendations;

AddedA. whereas cyberbullying refers to behaviour carried out through digital technologies with the primary intention or effect of repeatedly or continuously humiliating, socially excluding, abusing, harassing or harming people, in particular children or young people;

RemovedD. whereas cyberbullying often has a cross-border dimension;

AddedB. whereas cyberbullying is a growing problem, as recognised in the Commission’s action plan against cyberbullying; whereas 18.3 % of children worldwide have experienced cyberbullying through electronic messages or social media posts; whereas in Europe, around 1 in 6 children aged between 11 and 15 report being victims of cyberbullying; whereas between 2018 and 2022, the number of adolescents being cyberbullied rose by a quarter for boys and almost a quarter for girls; whereas over the past five years, cyberbullying has consistently been the main reason for contacting the Safer Internet Centres’ helplines;

RemovedE. whereas several Member States have introduced targeted criminal provisions to address cyberbullying;

AddedC. whereas the 2025 Digital Decade Eurobarometer found that 92 % of EU citizens consider there to be an urgent need for public authorities to act to protect children online from cyberbullying and online harassment, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent, address and mitigate the harmful effects of cyberbullying across the Member States;

RemovedF. whereas on 9 December 2021, the Commission proposed adding ‘hate crime’ to the list of ‘EU crimes’ under Article 83 TFEU; whereas this proposal did not receive the required unanimous support among the Member States;

AddedD. whereas cyberbullying disproportionately affects those at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities, including women and girls, LGBTIQ+ people, young people, children with disabilities, those from minority backgrounds, migrants and racialised young people, and whereas these overlapping grounds for discrimination compound the harm experienced;

RemovedG. whereas the Commission has announced the adoption of the next EU strategy on victims’ rights in 2026 to complement EU rules with non-legislative measures aimed at promoting structures for targeted psychological support and protection services for child victims, including those of online crime;

AddedE. whereas cyberbullying and online harassment, including image-based abuse, have severe and lasting consequences for victims, particularly minors, including psychological harm, social alienation and, in extreme cases, loss of life;

RemovedH. whereas the Commission has initiated a number of investigations under the DSA against very large online platforms in relation to cyberbullying or harassment, including investigations into compliance with the ‘notice and action’ mechanism and possible shortcomings in risk assessment and mitigation measures;

AddedF. whereas cyberbullying must be understood, in many cases, as a form of gender-based violence, including the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images, coordinated hate campaigns and attacks against women in public life; whereas artificial intelligence is giving cyberbullying a new, dangerous dimension, primarily targeting women and children;

RemovedThe cyberbullying action plan

AddedG. whereas cyberbullying has a cross-border dimension as it frequently occurs across social media platforms, messaging applications, gaming environments and other online spaces; whereas it has emerged as one of the most significant threats to the online safety and well-being of minors and young people in the EU;

Removed1. Welcomes the Commission’s action plan against cyberbullying; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that platforms are held accountable to prevent and counter cyberbullying;

AddedH. whereas there is no commonly agreed legal definition of cyberbullying at EU or international level; whereas significant legal fragmentation persists across Member States with regard to the definition of and penalties for cyberbullying, resulting in unequal levels of protection for victims and legal uncertainty for law enforcement authorities;

Removed2. Welcomes the Commission’s focus on prevention and digital literacy as effective long-term tools for combating cyberbullying; calls on the Commission and the Member States to substantially invest in age-appropriate digital education, media literacy programmes and teacher training, ensuring that these resources reach children in all socio-economic contexts;

AddedI. whereas several Member States have introduced targeted criminal provisions addressing cyberbullying; whereas national legislation such as Ireland’s ‘Coco’s Law’ attempt to address harmful online behaviour, including the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and serious online harassment; whereas on 9 December 2021, the Commission proposed adding ‘hate crime’ to the list of EU crimes laid down in Article 83(1) TFEU; whereas this proposal did not garner the necessary unanimous support among Member States;

Removed3. Highlights, in this regard, the recently published Commission guidelines under the DSA on the protection of minors online, which specify how platforms can ensure that minors are safe when using their services;

AddedJ. whereas the Commission President announced in her 2025 State of the Union address that she would convene a panel of specialists to advise on child safety online and potential age restrictions for accessing social media; whereas the co-chairs are expected to report their findings and recommendations to the Commission President by summer 2026;

Removed4. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission to follow up on its announcement to issue guidelines for trusted flaggers on cyberbullying, which will help clarify their role in tackling content, including cyberbullying;

AddedK. whereas the business model of certain online platforms incentivises the spread of hateful content, contributing to an unsafe online environment for minors, women, LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities; whereas the Commission has initiated a number of investigations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against very large online service providers in relation to cyberbullying and harassment;

Removed5. Welcomes the stricter implementation and enforcement of existing legislation, as announced in the cyberbullying action plan;

AddedCommission action plan against cyberbullying

Change 2

Changed6.1. Welcomes the proposedCommission definitionaction ofplan against cyberbullying inas thea Commission’sframework actionto plan,tackle ascyberbullying, thisincluding wouldits enableproposed itsdefinition enabling coherent statistical assessment and the exchange of best practicespractice, acrossand Memberthe States;stricter implementation and enforcement of current legislation;

Change 3

Removed7. Reiterates its call, as reflected in the cyberbullying action plan, on Member States to establish comprehensive national anti-bullying plans, including those that address cyberbullying;

Added2. Welcomes the focus of the action plan against cyberbullying on prevention and digital literacy as effective long-term tools; calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in age-appropriate digital education and media literacy, in order to ensure that these resources reach children in all socio-economic contexts;

Removed8. Welcomes the preventive measures announced in the cyberbullying action plan, in particular the Commission’s commitment to expand cyberbullying resources and training for both schools and non-formal and informal education;

Added3. Reiterates its call on the Member States to establish comprehensive national anti-cyberbullying plans and to provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for cyberbullying offences, taking into account the seriousness of the conduct and the vulnerability of the victim;