European Commission's Child Digital Safety Plan Backed by Spanish Pediatric Groups

The European Commission has presented a report on online safety for children, proposing measures such as stronger age‑verification systems, "safety by design" of digital platforms and specific protections against harmful content. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) and the Spanish Society of Adolescent Medicine (SEMA) welcomed the proposal as an important step toward common regulation, but stressed that it should be seen as a starting point.

Both societies noted that the EU document remains modest compared with the AEP’s Digital Family Plan, which advises no screen exposure for children aged 0‑6, no more than one hour daily for ages 7‑12 and less than two hours for ages 13‑16, and recommends delaying the first personal mobile device. Dr. Julio Álvarez Pitti, coordinator of the AEP’s Health Promotion Committee, said, "The European Commission placing child protection at the centre of future digital regulation is a very important advance," while calling for progressively stronger evidence‑based safeguards.

The pediatric bodies urged that future legislation incorporate the latest scientific evidence and extend the EU measures to match the stricter recommendations of the Digital Family Plan.