This article is part of the campaign DSA for YOUth - Protecting minors by design, focusing on the DSA guidelines for the protection of minors under the DSA, including the age verification (AV) and age-appropriate (AA) measures, and translating these rules into clear, practical, and jargon-free resources. In this insight series, we explore how different Safer Internet Centres are working at the national level to raise awareness about the DSA and how it impacts the everyday lives of young people, their parents or caregivers, and teachers and educators.
September traditionally marks the “BacktoSchool” period, a time when students, teachers, and parents resume their routines and educational activities. This moment of renewed enthusiasm also extends to the use of digital technologies, particularly in the context of digital education.
The Italian Safer Internet Centre seized the opportunity of BacktoSchool 2024 to promote reflection on the Digital Services Act (DSA) and its impact on online safety and digital rights, especially concerning young people.
To this end, a live webinar was organised at the Italian Ministry of Education, involving students, teachers, educators, and the wider school community. The event aimed to foster a shared understanding and critical discussion on the new European framework introduced by the DSA.
During the session, experts illustrated the main provisions of the regulation, highlighting how they enhance the protection of minors from harmful content, manipulative advertising, and the misuse of personal data. Particular attention was given to the obligations imposed on very large online platforms (VLOPs) to assess specific risks for young users and to adopt preventive and mitigating measures to ensure a safer digital environment.
The discussion also examined the prohibitions on using children’s data for advertising or profiling purposes, underlining how these new safeguards help protect minors from misleading or manipulative messages and contribute to creating a more transparent and responsible digital ecosystem.
Learning objectives
- Understand the key provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and their impact on the protection and rights of young people online;
- Analyse the responsibilities of digital platforms and their effect on the safety of younger users;
- Explore opportunities for teachers, parents and guardians to use control tools to safeguard young people's online experience.
Target audience
The seminar aimed to inform teachers, educators, parents, childcare professionals (including psychologists, social workers and paediatricians) and anyone interested in the implications of the Digital Services Act for the protection and rights of young people online.
The recording of the webinar is available.
Find more information about the work of the Italian Safer Internet Centre, including their awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
Interested in more?
If you are interested in more, explore the DSA for YOUth toolkit to learn how the Digital Services Act (DSA) protects minors by design. There, you will find a family-friendly booklet explaining the DSA guidelines on what online platforms should do to keep kids and teens safe online, easy-to-read explainers, a quiz, and other resources.
This article is part of the campaign DSA for YOUth - Protecting minors by design, focusing on the DSA guidelines for the protection of minors under the DSA, including the age verification (AV) and age-appropriate (AA) measures, and translating these rules into clear, practical, and jargon-free resources. In this insight series, we explore how different Safer Internet Centres are working at the national level to raise awareness about the DSA and how it impacts the everyday lives of young people, their parents or caregivers, and teachers and educators.
September traditionally marks the “BacktoSchool” period, a time when students, teachers, and parents resume their routines and educational activities. This moment of renewed enthusiasm also extends to the use of digital technologies, particularly in the context of digital education.
The Italian Safer Internet Centre seized the opportunity of BacktoSchool 2024 to promote reflection on the Digital Services Act (DSA) and its impact on online safety and digital rights, especially concerning young people.
To this end, a live webinar was organised at the Italian Ministry of Education, involving students, teachers, educators, and the wider school community. The event aimed to foster a shared understanding and critical discussion on the new European framework introduced by the DSA.
During the session, experts illustrated the main provisions of the regulation, highlighting how they enhance the protection of minors from harmful content, manipulative advertising, and the misuse of personal data. Particular attention was given to the obligations imposed on very large online platforms (VLOPs) to assess specific risks for young users and to adopt preventive and mitigating measures to ensure a safer digital environment.
The discussion also examined the prohibitions on using children’s data for advertising or profiling purposes, underlining how these new safeguards help protect minors from misleading or manipulative messages and contribute to creating a more transparent and responsible digital ecosystem.
Learning objectives
- Understand the key provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and their impact on the protection and rights of young people online;
- Analyse the responsibilities of digital platforms and their effect on the safety of younger users;
- Explore opportunities for teachers, parents and guardians to use control tools to safeguard young people's online experience.
Target audience
The seminar aimed to inform teachers, educators, parents, childcare professionals (including psychologists, social workers and paediatricians) and anyone interested in the implications of the Digital Services Act for the protection and rights of young people online.
The recording of the webinar is available.
Find more information about the work of the Italian Safer Internet Centre, including their awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
Interested in more?
If you are interested in more, explore the DSA for YOUth toolkit to learn how the Digital Services Act (DSA) protects minors by design. There, you will find a family-friendly booklet explaining the DSA guidelines on what online platforms should do to keep kids and teens safe online, easy-to-read explainers, a quiz, and other resources.
- DSAforYOUth DSA (Digital Services Act)
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