On 14 July 2025, the European Commission published new guidelines on the Protection of Minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA), marking a major step in the EU’s effort to ensure a safe online experience for minors. The Guidelines are a non-binding but influential framework that sets out how online platforms should protect underage users from risks like grooming, harmful content, cyberbullying, and other online harms.
The key measures in the guidelines include:
- Privacy by default: The accounts of minors must be set to private by default, limiting visibility of personal data and posts. This reduces exposure to unsolicited contact, grooming, and other risks.
- Age-appropriate algorithms: Platforms should adjust recommender systems to avoid pushing harmful or age-inappropriate content. Instead of relying on behavioural tracking, minors should be shown content based on their explicit choices and be given more control over what they see.
- Cyberbullying safeguards: Children and teens should have tools to block or mute other users and must not be added to group chats without consent. To protect the content of minors, platforms are also encouraged to restrict downloads and screenshots of posts.
- Limiting addictive design: Features that foster compulsive use, such as autoplay, streaks, push notifications, and read receipts should be disabled by default. Persuasive interface designs, especially those used with AI chatbots, should be critically reviewed or removed.
- Responsible advertising and monetisation: Minors must be shielded from manipulative commercial practices, including in-game currencies and loot boxes that can pressure them into spending. Advertising and influencer content should be clearly labelled and distinguishable from regular content.
- Stronger moderation and parental tools: Content moderation processes should be responsive and accessible to minors. Platforms are expected to provide parental control tools that allow supervision without violating privacy. Transparency of safety measures is also essential.
- Effective age verification: The Commission strongly emphasises accurate, privacy-preserving age checks. For adult content or regulated services, strict verification is advised. For others, age estimation may suffice.
Although the guidelines are non-binding, their practical impact is expected to be far-reaching since they set clear expectations of what the Commission will view as a benchmark for compliance. It is hoped the future impact of the Commission’s guidance will be a more privacy-conscious, child-friendly and safer digital landscape.
For more information on the guidelines for the protection of minors in the DSA, contact you CMS client partner or these CMS experts.
