Better Internet for Kids

The Free and Safe Education Act is a new bill that aims to further strengthen social safety in Dutch education. This law is expected to come into effect on 1 August 2026 and requires primary, secondary, and special education schools in the Netherlands to implement and actively maintain a social safety policy, including designated roles for bullying reporting and coordination. It also mandates schools to monitor students' perceptions of safety and well-being using valid tools to prevent and address incidents like bullying and aggression.

From Phones to School is a national initiative in Lithuania advocating for a complete ban on personal smartphone use by students from grades 1–10 throughout the entire school day (including breaks), aiming to protect children’s mental well-being, reduce distractions, and prevent exposure to harmful online content.

Futura is the educational branch of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), setting six reforms and ten plans to invest in a new educational system that includes digital skills and guarantees the right to education. The measures relate, in fact, to the most strategic aspects of education: the reorganization of the school system, the training of staff, recruitment procedures, the guidance system, the reorganization of technical and professional institutes and Higher Technical Institutes (ITS).

The Nasjonal digitaliseringsstrategi 2024–2030 is Norway's comprehensive plan to become the world's most digitalised nation by 2030. Issued by the Digitaliserings- og forvaltningsdepartementet, it frames digitalisation as a crucial tool for addressing societal challenges such as an aging population, climate change, and economic transformation. The strategy focuses on enhancing public services, fostering business innovation, and ensuring a secure, inclusive digital society where technology benefits everyone.

The GDPR says that children’s personal data need specific protection, as children may be less aware of their rights, and of what can happen if a company uses their personal data, especially for advertising or proposing content. Information about data processing should be clear and easy for a child to understand. Everyone has the right to be forgotten, under certain conditions. That means a user can ask a company to remove his/her personal data, especially when if (s)he agreed to this as a child.

General Advertising Law 34/1988 is structured into four titles: the first two set out general provisions and define illicit advertising, including administrative interventions for products or services that may pose risks to health or safety.

This law means that non-food products sold in the EU must be safe. Countries can quickly alert each other about dangerous products.

In 2021, the European Commission proposed an update to strengthen existing rules. The proposal mentions the risks of products not made for children but that look like something appealing to children or meant for children – like sweets or toys. Safety would also apply to products based on new technologies like Artificial Intelligence that can affect people’s mental health and children’s healthy development.

The Global Strategy on Minors, Digital Health and Privacy (January 29, 2024) presents the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) priority lines of action to promote the effective protection of children and adolescents on the Internet. The strategy includes collaboration with national and international organizations competent in the matter. It contains 10 priority actions and 35 measures grouped into three axes: regulatory collaboration, reinforcement to guarantee the rights of children and adolescents and the exercise of investigative and sanctioning powers.

In Luxembourg, a national policy for well-being in schools has been developed and will be implemented in all high schools by 2025. The policy aims to ensure that each student has the opportunity to thrive at school in complete safety and reach their full potential, while feeling supported, respected and valued. The initiative promotes dialogue between students and adults through open communication and peer work to create positive and trustful relationships. In addition, it provides an anti-violence tool in schools and supports youth involvement in the educational community.

This report provides a summary of the government's main actions in the period 2021 to 2023 to combat gender-based violence, reforms in the handling of sexual offences in the justice system and the strengthening of prevention and education against sexual and gender-based violence and harassment. These included  reviewing and amending legislation, with action plans in the form of Parliamentary Resolutions, with increased budget appropriations earmarked for these issues, for example, to the police, and grants to various organisations working on these issues.