EU Council urges stronger online protection for girls and children amid TikTok safety concerns

The European Union Council adopted conclusions calling on member states and the European Commission to intensify measures that protect girls and young women from cyber violence online. The call targets harassment, non‑consensual sharing of intimate images, hate speech and other forms of digital abuse, urging more education, victim support, mental‑health assistance and stricter legal enforcement.

In a separate parliamentary hearing, MEP Biljana Borzan warned that TikTok begins showing self‑harm and suicide‑related content to minors within hours of use. She cited data indicating that half of girls aged 13‑15 report unhappiness, over 15% of youths have attempted suicide, and nearly 30% have engaged in self‑injury. Borzan urged the EU to ban social‑media access for children under 16 and to ban addictive design features. She highlighted that many children lie about their age to create accounts, with high usage rates across platforms.

Both statements stress that protecting children online must take precedence over digital platform profits, calling for coordinated European action and stronger statutory tools.