Can youth voices truly shape the future of digital safety in Europe? After taking a part in the Article 28 event in Brussels, I can confidently say - we’re getting there!

As a participant, I was part of a group preparing to share our thoughts on Article 28 of the Digital Services Act (DSA) , a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at making the internet a safer place for minors. Our focus was on how these rules would apply to Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) aka the major players that shape much of our digital lives.

Stepping into the conversation

My involvement began well before the main event in Brussels. With a group of young people from across Europe, I participated in three online preparatory sessions, where we dug into the risks we face online every day. These weren't surface-level conversations. We analyzed the real and potential dangers, from exposure to harmful content, to manipulative algorithms, and discussed how current policies (or lack of them) affect our digital experience.

One surprising, but crucial risk area we identified was the lack of serious attention to misinformation. In a world where young people increasingly turn to the internet as their primary source of information, especially about current events, the spread of disinformation is a serious threat. The connection between online misinformation and the broader political landscape cannot be ignored. It's something I believe should be more explicitly addressed in the future, as something that carries impact and its consequences projected onto my generation such as radicalisation, ongoing prejudice and shaping one’s political views.

From preparation to policy

All of our online discussions and preparations led to the Article 28 event held on June 4th in Brussels, where I had the privilege of working alongside other young delegates, VLOP representatives, politicians, and third-sector stakeholders.

The event kicked off with inspiring opening speeches that set the tone, highlighting both recent achievements of the Safer Internet community, and the urgent need for further  legislation to protect children and teens online. It was a powerful reminder, that while the internet can be a place of connection, creativity, and growth, it can also expose us to serious harm when left overlooked.

The youth-focused panel was one of the event's most memorable moments. This was where our voices, our experiences, concerns, and ideas took center stage. We shared our thoughts on the DSA measures and reflected on the participatory process we had just gone through. Having our opinions valued in such a way was not only empowering, but was validating.

Trying to “match the room” and what I discovered

As the Brussels event approached, I felt a strange mix of excitement and pressure. I knew I was going to be in rooms filled with professionals, politicians, policymakers, tech experts. So I did what many young activists do quietly behind the scenes: I studied. I read all of the paperwork, took notes, challenged my creativity to come up with new solutions, just so that I would have something to say in a space dominated by adults.

And then came a moment that changed my view. I found myself in conversations with representatives from my favorite platforms. Wait. I can actually ask them direct questions? About algorithm transparency? About their newest privacy policy updates? I was hyped.

Some of them really surprised me - in a good way. They challenged my views, brought insight, and seemed genuinely invested in users’ wellbeing. But I also encountered the other side - the part of Big Tech that still sees users as products, not people.

Take the debates on age verification, for example. In some cases, it was easier to call an old system “secure enough” than to update it to actually prioritize safety. That’s when it hit me: safety isn’t always profitable, and that’s a huge problem. We can’t keep viewing children as data points.

We want to explore the digital world without wondering if our personal content is training AI, or worrying about scams every time we click. We want real control over our online playground. Tools that are easy to use, reporting systems that actually show results, and policies that protect us by design, not by afterthought.

Why youth participation matters

One message I kept coming back to and shared during the panel is: young people must be included in shaping the laws that aim to protect them!

How are we supposed to feel protected and respected in the digital world, if decisions about our safety are made without consulting us? We are not just passive users of the internet. We are digital natives, the first generation to grow up entirely online. We understand, firsthand, what’s dangerous, what’s missing, and what needs to change. At the same time, working on our digital citizenship is the key to a generation of responsible, educated and safe youth.

Our input shouldn’t be seen as a nice-to-have, but as essential. If lawmakers truly want to create policies that work, they must cooperate with the people they affect most. And that includes youth.

My final message

To young people reading this: don’t underestimate your power to influence. If you're passionate about online safety, digital rights, or any policy that affects your future - get involved. Speak up. Your voice matters more than you think.

To decision-makers: keep listening. Keep creating spaces for youth to participate. You’ll find that we're not just ready to engage, we're already doing the work!

The digital world is our world too. And we’re ready to shape it. 

Discover more about youth participation activities in the BIK Youth section of the portal.