Noeline Blackwell

The panel, established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, recommends a broader approach to online child safety that extends beyond social media to include AI companions, video-sharing platforms and other digital services used by children.

Noeline Blackwell, online safety coordinator at the Children’s Rights Alliance, said the report recognised that primary responsibility for children’s online safety should rest with technology companies rather than children or parents.

She said: “We have argued for the policy debate to shift focus to the tech industry and the absence of accountability and responsibility on their part. This report recognises the need for primary responsibility for children’s safety online to lie with the companies producing these systems and programmes.”

Ms Blackwell said the recommendations also highlighted the role of legislators in ensuring companies comply with safety standards while respecting children’s rights.

She added: “We do not believe a blanket ban ultimately makes any site or service safer for children. But with two thirds of children in Ireland aged 8-12 having at least one social media account and very young children exposed to countless harms across digital sites, our legislators and policymakers cannot allow the platforms to stick their head in the sand.

“This report shifts the burden of proof to the tech industry and challenges Member States to legislate to ensure any products or services are safe before they can access children.”

The alliance said it hoped the report’s recommendations would be advanced during Ireland’s EU presidency, with member states adopting a rights-based approach to protecting children online.