Better Internet for Kids

Here, we take an in-depth look at the latest monitoring information for Germany.

Due to German federalism, there is more than one policy which addresses the topic of children and the digital environment. At the federal level, it is the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz - JuSchG), the Länder (federal states) have concluded the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz- Staatsvertrag, JMStV), and at EU level, the Digital Services Act also addresses the protection of children in the digital environment.

BIK policies

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

Policy frameworks

Policy frameworks describe the overarching approach for a better internet, and establish the underlying goals, principles and guidelines that shape individual policies within this area.

In Germany:

• This topic is an important and emerging policy priority, with children’s online protection, digital empowerment, and digital participation partially covered in national/regional laws, regulations and policies.
• There are separate, dedicated policies that address children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
• The BIK+ strategy is an important influence on policy development on children and the digital environment, which informs and guides national policies even if they do not directly refer to BIK+.
• National/regional policies and policy documents explicitly recognise children's rights in the digital environment.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key national policy frameworks in Germany.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Policy design

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

• There is a regular (e.g., annual or bi-annual) nationally representative survey specifically focused on children’s digital activity which informs national policies on this topic. These include measures of children’s experiences of risks, harms and digital well-being.
• A range of systems are in place at the government level to inform policy development on this topic.
• Existing national research funding is available for research on children and the digital environment but this is not explicitly specified.
• Policies undergo systematic and regular monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of actions in different contexts and to take account of new technologies or emergent risks.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on recent national research studies in Germany.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Policy governance

Policy governance examines how policies are coordinated at the governmental level, whether other implementation bodies are involved in their delivery, and whether structured mechanisms are available to guide their implementation. 

• Policy development sits across a range of ministries, and there is no single lead overall responsible for developing government policies, guidelines, and programmes relating to children and the digital environment.
• Coordination happens more informally across the different departments and entities that contribute to government policies, guidelines, and programmes regarding children and the digital environment.
• One or more programmes of action are underway supporting children’s online safety and participation in the digital environment. However, these lack accountabilities such as defined timelines, assigned responsibilities or key performance indicators (KPIs).

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key policy governance mechanisms in Germany.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Stakeholder involvement

Stakeholder involvement enquires how different stakeholders can participate in policy development. Children’s involvement in policy-making is one such key issue. Additionally, international knowledge exchange about children's digital participation is also relevant to this topic.

• Various ad hoc multistakeholder groups exist across different branches of government, in which stakeholders may contribute to policy deliberation and development.
• Members of the public are regularly and routinely consulted as part of the policy development for BIK topics.
• Children are listened to directly in the policy development process (e.g., through hearings, consultations, specific surveys) but are not formally involved in decision-making. 

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on crucial stakeholder involvement mechanisms in Germany.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

BIK+ actions

Pillar 1 – safe digital experiences

Safe digital experiences refer to actions taken to protect children from harmful and illegal online content, conduct, contact, and risks as young consumers and to improve their well-being online through a safe, age-appropriate digital environment created in a way that respects children’s best interests.

Implementing EU laws

• Germany has implemented the requirements of the Digital Services Act through the Digitale–Dienste-Gesetz (DDG) and the 5. Medienänderungsstaatsvertrag, which incorporated relevant changes to the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV). Under section 12 (2) of the DDG, the Federal Agency for Children and Youth Protection in the Media (BzKJ) is the competent authority for the enforcement of Article 14 (3) and for the enforcement of structural precautionary measures pursuant to Article 28 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, insofar as these do not concern measures under the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV) in the version dated 14 December 2021.
• The authorities responsible for these measures and for specific individual measures under the JMStV are the independent media authorities. The Federal Office for the Enforcement of Children’s Rights in Digital Services (KidD) serves as the national authority for the enforcement of Article 28 (1) and Article 14 (3) of the DSA for child protection requirements, i.e., systemic protection on online platforms. The KidD-office is already operational and is conducting a large number of administrative offence proceedings. The interpretation of the requirements from the Digital Services Act is based on child rights standards; testing criteria have been developed to ensure an appropriate level of security.

Harmful online content

• In Germany, many different laws regulate illegal content. However, these are not always aimed at online content. Overall, the regulations range from market surveillance regarding illegal or dangerous products to specific regulations on protecting young people in the media to criminal law regulations.
• Under the conditions of the Youth Protection Act (JuSchG), media that are harmful to minors can be indexed. Several legal remedies are under the supervision of the states and are set out in the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag, JMStV).
• There are several ways to report harmful online content to the various authorities. Article 16 of the DSA opens up the possibility of reporting the content to the relevant platform provider. There is a complaint form via the Website of the digital service coordinator. Complaints may also be submitted to the independent media authorities.

Harmful online conduct

• Children and young people are protected from intimate image abuse through various criminal law provisions in the German Criminal Code. Pursuant to section 184 (Dissemination of pornographic content) of the German Criminal Code, anyone who offers, supplies or makes pornographic content available to a person under the age of eighteen is liable to prosecution.
• There are no laws, regulations or policies that specifically and exclusively address cyberbullying. However, according to the Youth Protection Act (JuSchG)and now the Digital Services Act, providers must introduce risk mitigation measures to better protect children and young people, including from cyberbullying.
• The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth promotes JUUUPORT, a nationwide online counselling platform for young people who encounter problems online. Volunteer teenagers and young adults from all over Germany, the JUUUPORT scouts, confidentially help their peers with online problems such as cyberbullying and much more.

Age verification

• According to the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz- Staatsvertrag, JMStV), pornographic offers in telemedia are prohibited if the provider does not ensure that children and young people cannot access these offers. However, age verification systems can be used to ensure that children and young people do not consume this content. The Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz, KJM) evaluates and reviews age verification systems.
• Age verification is also a possible measure to better protect children and young people under the Digital Services Act. The Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media (Bundeszentrale für Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz, BzKJ) checks whether providers have taken suitable measures in this respect. In addition, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth is working on a data-saving method for age verification.
• German nationals under the age of 16 receive their national ID card (Personalausweis) with the eID function switched off. Once they are 16, they can choose to have it switched on by the competent authority (free of charge). Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area who are at least 16 years old can apply for an eID Card (includes eID function intended only for use of digital services). 

Commercial content

• National regulations on advertising and labelling are contained in the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV), the Interstate Media Treaty (MStV), and the Act Against Unfair Competition (Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb – UWG).
• There is a guideline published by the state media authorities on the handling of labelling obligations, which deals in particular with advertising on social media. There are also the general behavioural rules of the Advertising Council (advertising code), which are less about the labelling of advertising and more about rules for the presentation of advertising content.
• To protect children online from addictive features and unfair commercial practices in digital services, applicable European law (e.g. UCPD, DSA) is enforced. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) supports the following projects, that are (also) aimed at minors and that address dark patterns, addictive features and unfair commercial practices in digital services: ‘Dark Pattern Detection Project’; the  ‘Consumer protection for young people in rural regions’ (‘Verbraucherschutz in ländlichen Regionen für junge Menschen’ – Verbraucherzentrale Bayern e. V.), ‘Consumercheck’ (‘Verbraucherchecker’); and the follow-up project ‘Peer-education among young consumers’ (‘Peer-Education mit jungen Verbraucher_innen’). 

Mental health and well-being

• The Federal Institute of Public Health (Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit – BIÖG) has been pursuing the goal of preventing health risks and encouraging health-promoting lifestyles, especially for children. This also includes internet-related disorders. The BZgA offers comprehensive information via the website www.ins-netz-gehen.de. Digital counselling services for young people seeking help are also offered. ‘Mental health coaches’ support students, among other aspects, to maintain their mental health online. 

Pillar 2 – digital empowerment

Digital empowerment incorporates actions so that all children, including those in vulnerable situations, acquire the necessary skills and competences to make sound choices and express themselves in the online environment safely and responsibly.

Supports for online safety education

• The requirements for dealing with online safety are a matter for the states. The states base their requirements on the ‘Education in the Digital World’ strategy agreed in December 2016 and the additional recommendation ‘Teaching and Learning in the Digital World’, particularly choosing a pedagogical approach. The teaching design should not only inform students about the dangers of the Internet, but also develop skills for the safe use of the internet. Within the framework of cultural sovereignty, the states implement the strategy on their own responsibility through appropriate curriculum requirements, and their scope varies.
• The Association for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK) is a nationwide professional association for education, culture, and media. It promotes media education and media literacy, brings together interested and engaged people from research and practice, and ensures the exchange of information.
• The media guide "SCHAU HIN! Was Dein Kind mit Medien macht." ("LOOK! How your child uses media")’ supports parents and guardians with age-appropriate, up-to-date recommendations for children's media use that are suitable for everyday use. ‘SCHAU HIN’ provides information about information and entertainment options as well as the risks of media use. Parents and guardians can attend media courses to learn how to deal with digital media and support children and young people.
• JUUUPORT is a nationwide peer-to-peer-based online counselling service for young people, specifically for internet-based problems such as cyberbullying. Volunteer teenagers and young adults, the JUUUPORT scouts, advise their peers on online problems.

Digital literacy skills to empower young people

• Many of the projects funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth provide tips and instructions on how to use digital media safely. A good example is ‘Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien’ (‘Growing up well with media’). This initiative supports and pools the activities of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the area of protecting children and young people in the media to strengthen the media skills of children, young people, parents and professionals. The initiative is a nationwide association of various players and is supported by an initiative office.
• Since 2015, with the federal programme ‘Live Democracy!’, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) has been facilitating measures at the local, state and federal level to develop new and innovative approaches to promoting democracy, shaping diversity and preventing extremism.
• The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) provides funding to a variety of projects and initiatives to promote media literacy and media education, and protect children and young people online. The ‘Growing up well with media’ initiative (‘Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien – GAmM’), supports and pools the Federal Ministry’s activities in the field of child and youth protection in media to promote media literacy among children, adolescents, parents and professionals. The initiative is a nationwide alliance of various stakeholders and is supported by an initiative office.
• At Länder level, all 16 Länder pursue their own initiatives for promoting children’s critical media literacy and combating disinformation. The individual strategies are similar in that they are designed to address all age groups, supported by government agencies and media authorities. 

Pillar 3 – active participation, respecting children’s rights

Active participation, respecting children’s rights, refers to actions which give children and young people a say in the digital environment, with more child-led activities to foster innovative and creative safe digital experiences.

Active participation

• Quality standards for child and youth participation, where the German Federal Youth Council (DBJR) and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) outline standards of quality of participation of children and youth with a view to varying areas of growing up. The topic is also addressed in the National Action Plan for Child and Youth Participation.
• Since 2016, TINCON (Teenage Internetwork Conference) has been designing event and content formats with and for young people between the ages of 13 and 25. The target group is closely involved in the planning, conception and implementation. The central task is the organisation and implementation of nationwide youth conferences, in particular for young people to discuss the diverse topics of digital youth culture.
• At the national level, the Advisory Board at the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media is the first higher federal authority to implement child and youth participation in its Advisory Board in accordance with the Youth Protection Act. Regulations exist at the regional level. In some federal states, the participation of children and young people is regulated in local constitutions.

Supporting children’s rights

• The guiding principle of protecting children and young people in media in Germany follows the basic idea of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children’s rights are to protection, empowerment, and participation. The initiative ‘Growing up well with Media’ (‘Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien – GAmM’) brings together various projects to raise awareness in this area. The project ‘children’s-rights.digital’ analyses the effects of digitalisation on the everyday lives of children and young people and develops strategies for child and youth policy measures in international cooperation. The objectives are to implement children’s rights in all areas of life, as well as the protection and empowerment of children to exercise their rights and to protect themselves.
• A website set up by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), which provides child-friendly information about policies that are relevant to children, though it is not a governmental system.

Digital inclusion

• Participation processes at regional and national levels ensure that the diversity of children and young people is included. This is also a specific focus of the National Action Plan for Child and Youth Participation.
• Participation processes at regional and national levels ensure that the diversity of children and young people is taken into account. This is also a special focus of the National Action Plan for Child and Youth Participation. 

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for some best practice examples from Germany.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

BIK+ index 2025: Germany

The BIK+ index has been developed to provide an aggregated at-a-glance overview of the levels of implementation across the two dimensions, BIK policies and BIK+ actions, in Germany compared to the EU27+2 average. Values are shown in per cent.

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in February 2025.