Skip to main content
European Union flag
Log in
Community Message
Membership to the Community Portal is only available to Community members.
Select Accept to continue to the Login page.

Online abuse – get help, report it!

Contact a helpline

Germany - Policy monitor country profile

German flag
The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Policy monitor is a tool to compare and exchange knowledge on policy making and implementation in EU Member States, Iceland and Norway on the pillars and recommendations of the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK+ strategy). The 2024 edition of the BIK Policy monitor report examines the implementation of the BIK+ strategy in 29 European countries, including all EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.

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

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
  • There are separate, dedicated policies that address children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
  • Although the BIK / BIK+ strategy is not explicitly mentioned in national policies, it has informed policy development on children and the digital environment.
  • Children's rights in the digital environment are not explicitly recognised in national policy documents but receive implicit support in policies dealing with children's digital activity.

 

Table 1: Topic summary - policy frameworks
 HighMediumLowOther
Coverage of BIK+ issues in national policies X  
Integration of policy provision X  
Influence on the BIK+ strategy X  
Recognition of children's rights X  

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

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.
  • 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.

 

Table 2: Topic summary - policy design
 HighMediumLowOther
Regular data collectionX   
Other information supports   X
National research fund X  
Monitoring and evaluationX   

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

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).

 

Table 3: Topic summary - policy governance
 HighMediumLowOther
Lead ministry for policy development  X 
National coordination body X  
National action plan or strategy X  

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

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.

Table 4: Topic summary - stakeholder involvement
 HighMediumLowOther
Stakeholder forum X  
Public consultationX   
Involvement of young people   X
International knowledge exchange

X

 

 

 

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

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. 

Responses to EU laws

  • The German Digital Services Act (DDG) came into effect on May 14, 2024, creating the essential national framework required for the effective implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) in Germany, including adjustments in jurisdictions and duties of information.
  • The DDG gives German authorities the powers to enforce the DSA for companies subject to German oversight. An independent coordination office for digital services will be created within the Bundesnetzagentur. It will ensure compliance with the requirements of the DSA and will be responsible for fines for infringements. Users can submit complaints directly to the office.

Addressing 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. There are also several legal remedies that 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.
  • The organisation jugendschutz.net checks internet content for violations of youth protection laws. The tasks of jugendschutz.net are defined in the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz- Staatsvertrag, JMStV) as well as the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz, JuSchG). Jugendschutz.net also operates a hotline where internet users can report illegal and harmful content and regularly search for potential risks on the internet. Internationally, jugendschutz.net works closely with the networks INHOPE and INACH.

Addressing 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 and digital identity systems

  • 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 Youth Protection Act (and in future 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). 
Table 5: Topic summary - pillar 1: safe digital experiences
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
DSA legislation enacted X  
Codes of practice of digital servicesX   
Consumer code of practice   X
Definition of harmful contentX   
Children’s complaints mechanismX   
Bodies can order content removalX   
Intimate image abuse lawsX   
Cyberbullying lawsX   
Age verification for adult contentX   
Digital identity systemsX   

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 in formal 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” and in particular choose a pedagogical approach. The teaching design should not only inform students about the dangers on 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.

Informal education

  • The media guide "SCHAU HIN! What your child does with 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.

Empowering through digital skills

  • 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 mid 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.
  • In the second funding period (2020-2024), the BMFSFJ has started to fund the Competence Network on Hate on the Internet. The Competence Network advises victims of hate speech, strengthens civil society networks and develops media-didactic concepts and formats. In addition, the accompanying project "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft (BAG) gegen Hass im Netz" (Federal Working Group against Hate on the Net) has been established since August 2021 to forge a stronger link between civil society engagement and research - thus ensuring an evidence-based foundation for work against digital hate.

 

Table 6: Topic summary - pillar 2: digital empowerment
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
Teaching online safetyX   
Online safety policies in schoolsX   
Adequate teacher trainingX   
Informal education about online safetyX   
Peer-to-peer training in online safetyX   
Support for digital literacy skillsX   
Children’s media literacy X  
Challenge hate speech/digital civil courageX   

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 process of 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.

Inclusivity

Digital creativity

  • The Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media is currently researching the topic of "Child-friendly online services and access to the internet". The main aim is to evaluate existing services for children and access routes in relation to existing needs in this regard. Once the evaluation has been completed, a funding programme will be drawn up so that it can be optimally tailored to actual needs.
  • Promoting media competence in youth work is the task of child and youth welfare. There are a variety of measures and projects in the respective federal states that qualify young people to participate independently in our digital world. Educational offers and concepts on media education are systematically developed, practical services are provided and educational institutions are also advised. Examples include: Seitenstark and FragFINN.

Table 7: Topic summary - pillar 3: active participation, respecting children's rights
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
Activities to promote active participationX   
Laws that mandate youth participationX   
Awareness raising on children’s rightsX   
Inclusiveness regarding active participationX   
Child-friendly versions of policy documents   X
Positive digital contentX   
Activities encouraging digital creativityX   

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

BIK+ index 2024: 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.

BIK+ index 2024: radar chart for Germany

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in February 2024.

Germany - Policy monitor country profile - 2024
English
(434.80 KB - PDF)
Download
Germany - Policy monitor country profile - 2024
English
(434.80 KB - PDF)
Download

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

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
  • There are separate, dedicated policies that address children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
  • Although the BIK / BIK+ strategy is not explicitly mentioned in national policies, it has informed policy development on children and the digital environment.
  • Children's rights in the digital environment are not explicitly recognised in national policy documents but receive implicit support in policies dealing with children's digital activity.

 

Table 1: Topic summary - policy frameworks
 HighMediumLowOther
Coverage of BIK+ issues in national policies X  
Integration of policy provision X  
Influence on the BIK+ strategy X  
Recognition of children's rights X  

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

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.
  • 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.

 

Table 2: Topic summary - policy design
 HighMediumLowOther
Regular data collectionX   
Other information supports   X
National research fund X  
Monitoring and evaluationX   

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

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).

 

Table 3: Topic summary - policy governance
 HighMediumLowOther
Lead ministry for policy development  X 
National coordination body X  
National action plan or strategy X  

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

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.

Table 4: Topic summary - stakeholder involvement
 HighMediumLowOther
Stakeholder forum X  
Public consultationX   
Involvement of young people   X
International knowledge exchange

X

 

 

 

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

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. 

Responses to EU laws

  • The German Digital Services Act (DDG) came into effect on May 14, 2024, creating the essential national framework required for the effective implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) in Germany, including adjustments in jurisdictions and duties of information.
  • The DDG gives German authorities the powers to enforce the DSA for companies subject to German oversight. An independent coordination office for digital services will be created within the Bundesnetzagentur. It will ensure compliance with the requirements of the DSA and will be responsible for fines for infringements. Users can submit complaints directly to the office.

Addressing 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. There are also several legal remedies that 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.
  • The organisation jugendschutz.net checks internet content for violations of youth protection laws. The tasks of jugendschutz.net are defined in the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz- Staatsvertrag, JMStV) as well as the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz, JuSchG). Jugendschutz.net also operates a hotline where internet users can report illegal and harmful content and regularly search for potential risks on the internet. Internationally, jugendschutz.net works closely with the networks INHOPE and INACH.

Addressing 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 and digital identity systems

  • 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 Youth Protection Act (and in future 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). 
Table 5: Topic summary - pillar 1: safe digital experiences
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
DSA legislation enacted X  
Codes of practice of digital servicesX   
Consumer code of practice   X
Definition of harmful contentX   
Children’s complaints mechanismX   
Bodies can order content removalX   
Intimate image abuse lawsX   
Cyberbullying lawsX   
Age verification for adult contentX   
Digital identity systemsX   

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 in formal 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” and in particular choose a pedagogical approach. The teaching design should not only inform students about the dangers on 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.

Informal education

  • The media guide "SCHAU HIN! What your child does with 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.

Empowering through digital skills

  • 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 mid 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.
  • In the second funding period (2020-2024), the BMFSFJ has started to fund the Competence Network on Hate on the Internet. The Competence Network advises victims of hate speech, strengthens civil society networks and develops media-didactic concepts and formats. In addition, the accompanying project "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft (BAG) gegen Hass im Netz" (Federal Working Group against Hate on the Net) has been established since August 2021 to forge a stronger link between civil society engagement and research - thus ensuring an evidence-based foundation for work against digital hate.

 

Table 6: Topic summary - pillar 2: digital empowerment
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
Teaching online safetyX   
Online safety policies in schoolsX   
Adequate teacher trainingX   
Informal education about online safetyX   
Peer-to-peer training in online safetyX   
Support for digital literacy skillsX   
Children’s media literacy X  
Challenge hate speech/digital civil courageX   

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 process of 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.

Inclusivity

Digital creativity

  • The Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media is currently researching the topic of "Child-friendly online services and access to the internet". The main aim is to evaluate existing services for children and access routes in relation to existing needs in this regard. Once the evaluation has been completed, a funding programme will be drawn up so that it can be optimally tailored to actual needs.
  • Promoting media competence in youth work is the task of child and youth welfare. There are a variety of measures and projects in the respective federal states that qualify young people to participate independently in our digital world. Educational offers and concepts on media education are systematically developed, practical services are provided and educational institutions are also advised. Examples include: Seitenstark and FragFINN.

Table 7: Topic summary - pillar 3: active participation, respecting children's rights
 In placeIn developmentNot in placeOther
Activities to promote active participationX   
Laws that mandate youth participationX   
Awareness raising on children’s rightsX   
Inclusiveness regarding active participationX   
Child-friendly versions of policy documents   X
Positive digital contentX   
Activities encouraging digital creativityX   

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

BIK+ index 2024: 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.

BIK+ index 2024: radar chart for Germany

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in February 2024.

Germany - Policy monitor country profile - 2024
English
(434.80 KB - PDF)
Download
Newsletter subscription
© BIK
Newsletter subscription
© BIK
Stay informed

Read the quarterly Better Internet for Kids bulletin for all the latest news.