Better Internet for Kids

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

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 Luxembourg:

• 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/BIK+ strategy is not explicitly referred to in national policies but has informed policy development on children and the digital environment.
• 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 Luxembourg.

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.
• There is no system in place at the government level to gather information on children and the digital environment.
• 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 Luxembourg.

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 no lead is specifically assigned responsibility 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.

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

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.

• Members of the public are consulted on occasion in the course of the development of new policies. However, this is not always the case.
• 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.
• There are occasional opportunities for policymakers to participate in international knowledge exchange on digital policies for children.

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

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 Luxembourgish government agreed on a law for the implementation of the EU Digital Service Act (DSA) on 8 September 2023. The provisions of the DSA came into force in February 2024 for all digital platforms. The Autorité de la concurrence (Ministry of Economy) is designated as the national Digital Services Coordinator.

Addressing harmful online content

• ALIA ensures that service providers comply with legal and regulatory provisions concerning the content, presentation, duration and insertion of commercial communications to preserve program integrity.
• As trusted Flagger, the operators of the BEE SECURE Helpline, the NGO KJT has the power to request the removal or disabling of access to potentially harmful content for children. In addition to this, Police Luxembourg also has the competency to ask Internet Service Providers for the removal of content on the internet.
• At the BEE SECURE Stopline, illegal online content can be reported anonymously and confidentially. Content in the following three categories can be reported: child sexual abuse material (CSAM), discrimination, racism or revisionism, and terrorism. The reported content is analysed and, if evaluated as illegal, submitted to the competent authorities. Operators of the BEE SECURE Stopline can also ask social media platform operators to remove content as trusted flaggers. 

Addressing harmful online conduct

• There is no specific law on the protection of children online, but the protection of children is covered within a range of general laws and regulations as follows:
• Regarding cyberbullying, certain laws in Luxemburg can allow the prosecution of a bully. For example, Harassment (Article 442-2 Criminal Code; Article 6 of the Law on Privacy from 11 August 1982); 1982.
• Libel, Defamation and Insult (Article 443 and following, Criminal Code). An offence is considered an injurious expression with ill intentions towards a person, whether through an act, a statement (verbal or written), a pictorial representation or emblem.
• Violation of Privacy. (Law of 11 August 1982 on the protection of privacy). Anyone who publishes photos of a person without their consent (online) can be prosecuted for violation of privacy (right to one's own image).
• Incitement of Hatred (Article 457-1 Criminal Code); 1997. Incitement of hatred and violence against a person, organisation, group or community based on their origin, skin colour, sexual orientation and other criteria is prohibited, including on the internet.
• Violation of Morality (Article 385-1 Criminal Code; Law of 6 July 2011 on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse). Anyone who distributes images or other representations that violate the conceptions of public decency can be punished. If someone gives you, as a minor, violent or pornographic content or tries to get you to perform sexual acts, it is also in violation of the Law.
• Copyright (Law of 18 April 2001); based on copyright protection laws, it is punishable by law if a statement /picture contains a reproduction of a protected work. Protection of persons with regard to the handling of personal data (Law of 1 August 2018).
• Economic Crime and Computer Fraud (Law of 15 July 1993).

Age verification and digital identity systems

• While there are no explicitly defined national/regional laws, technical standards or policies regarding age verification mechanisms to restrict minors from accessing adult online content services, the ALIA’s role is to ensure that minors cannot access inappropriate content.
• There are no digital identity systems available for minors.

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 new 'Digital Sciences’ course was introduced at the start of the 2020-2021 school year in seventh-grade classes at 18 volunteer pilot high schools and then generalised to seventh-grade classes in the 2021-2022 school year. In the 2022-2023 school year, the course continued its pilot phase in sixth-grade classes in volunteer high schools and will be tested in fifth-grade classes in 2023-2024. The 'Digital Sciences' course focuses on six main themes, covering both the technical and human dimensions of digitalisation. Both the final product (productions) and the learning process are evaluated using a system of badges (edupass badges) to attest to the innovative acquisition of skills. A BEE SECURE training, which addresses basic cybersecurity and cybersafety issues, is integral to the course.
• BEE SECURE further organises training for teachers in collaboration with the Institut de formation de l'éducation nationale (IFEN) and further training for educators in collaboration with Inter-Actions a.s.b.l.. The topics covered include the use of the internet by children and young people, dealing with new technologies, social networks, cyberbullying, cybersecurity and online safety.

• The Centre psycho-social et d’accompagnement scolaires (CePAS) elaborates on a concept for schools regarding "well-being" in general.

Informal education

• BEE SECURE offers non-formal education activities, such as activities for out-of-school groups of children and young people. It also offers publications, such as guides, thematic contributions and pedagogical material as well as online tools are available. Further details are provided in the latest BEE SECURE annual report.
• KJT (“Kanner-Jugendtelefon”) is the national child helpline, reachable at 116 111, and also offers a peer-to-peer chat consultation.

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

• BEE SECURE Kids (eight to 12 years old) and Youth Panel (13 to 18 years old) share their opinions on current issues (trends, policies) to BEE SECURE. BEE SECURE, as the Safer Internet Centre, may bring views to the attention of policymakers if requested.
• The Jugend Parlament (Youth Parliament) is a platform for young people aged 14 to 24 living in Luxembourg to discuss and debate certain subjects in regular hearings with other young people. The government asks the platform for advice on youth-related topics.
• CGJL (Le Conseil National de la Jeunesse du Luxembourg/de Jugendrot)/National Youth Council of Luxembourg) represents and raises awareness for all youth organisations in Luxembourg, specifically by defending the interests of young people within all the bodies set up by the political powers.
• At the school level, the tools for promoting youth participation include student committees and the Conférence nationale Conférence nationale des élèves au Luxembourg (CNEL). The CNEL is the platform for national student representation; it submits opinions and proposals to the Minister of National of National Education on all matters concerning students' lives and work in secondary education. However, it has no corollary in basic education.
• Regular consultations are also carried out within the "Structured Dialogue" process. The Structured Dialogue is an instrument for involving young people in European and Luxembourg politics. Set up in Luxembourg
  in 2013, its aim is to enable young people to have their say on the political decisions that concern them, and to enable Luxembourg's political players to hear them.

Digital creativity

• The National Youth Service’s (SNJ) “Makerspace Base1” fosters digital skills (non-formal education) with a makerspace and respective activities open to young people aged between eight and 30. By empowering children and young people to be not only consumers but also creators of the digital environment in the frame of the Makerspace Base1 offer, they learn from the point of view of designers and creators about protection and safety in the digital environment as they are inherently confronted to related questions in their respective projects. 

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

BIK+ index 2024: Luxembourg

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 Luxembourg 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 2024.