The European Commission will present guidelines for the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Denmark intends to step up efforts to protect minors online during its presidency of the EU Council. This intention was clearly expressed by the Danish Minister for Digital Affairs at the June meeting of the Telecommunications Council, when she stated that the protection of minors would be the main priority of the EU Council in the second half of 2025. They announced that they are considering banning the use of social networks for those under the age of 15. According to the Danish Minister for Digitalization, social networks are closely linked to data collection and advertising revenue.
The European Commission will present guidelines for the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA). For this purpose, the Commission launched a public consultation, to which EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance) also contributed after prior consultation with its members. In the section on “commercial practices,” particularly concerning the exposure of minors to hidden or covert advertising, EASA called for clarification of certain terms used in the guidelines, which differ from those in Article 26 of the Digital Services Act. EASA also urged that the contribution of online platforms participating in collective self-regulatory advertising systems be recognized, and that such systems be acknowledged as important for the protection of minors. In the part of the guidelines relating to “user reporting, feedback, and complaints,” EASA called for clarification of the requirements concerning financial independence set out in Articles 21 and 22 of the DSA.
