Policy solution for children on social media: CPDP Workshop

On 20 May, ULIDE‘s Claudia Negri-Ribalta, Ioana Visescu and Carsten Ullrich organised a workshop at the CPDP (“Computers, Privacy and Data Protection”) conference in Brussels. CPDP is one of the largest European conferences on privacy and data protection, uniting academics, policymakers, industry and civil society for three days of debate on cutting-edge topics and developments . ULIDE’s workshop explored the policy options for regulating the use of social media for children.

The session put forward a moderated debate of the advantages and disadvantages of a range of policy interventions currently being considered in Europe and elsewhere. This included bans on children’s access to social media, age-verification requirements, outcome-based regulation, design restrictions targeting features such as infinite scrolling, and measures to address harmful content.

The workshop brought together participants with a wide range of perspectives, leading to lively discussions about the effectiveness, proportionality, and unintended consequences of different regulatory approaches. The participants explored the technical, societal, and legal challenges of addressing manipulative platform design and harmful content, as well as the role of existing and forthcoming legislation such as the GDPR, DSA, AI Act, and Digital Fairness Act.

The discussions highlighted both areas of disagreement and points of consensus. Finally, the audience put forward new ideas on how policymakers, industry, and researchers can work together to better protect children online while safeguarding fundamental rights and preserving the benefits of digital participation.