Regulation of Online Platforms and Child Protection in the EU Digital Space GUK

About the project

GUK 2026

Regulation of Online Platforms and Child Protection in the EU Digital Space

Number of the project: UK/1423/2026

Principal Investigator: Mgr. Lucia Rybanová

 

Digital platforms form an environment where minors spend a lot of time engaging in entertainment and mutual communication. At the same time, they represent a source of serious risks, such as cyberbullying, online sexual harassment, or privacy violations. The European Union addresses these challenges through the Digital Services Act (DSA), which introduces a comprehensive framework of obligations for online platform providers, including mechanisms for mitigating systemic risks, algorithmic transparency, and the protection of vulnerable groups. The project focuses on a critical analysis of how the DSA contributes to protecting minors from online risks, what specific obligations it imposes on platforms, and where the limits of these measures lie. It will include an examination of child protection within the DSA, an assessment of the implementation of obligations by very large online platforms, with an emphasis on risk assessments under Article 34 of the DSA, and the identification of gaps in regulation and enforcement. Based on the findings, the project will propose recommendations to improve the protection of minors on digital platforms. The results will be implemented as part of my doctoral thesis, which focuses on the response of European legislation to risks arising for minors in the online environment.