On 10 February 2026, on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, the European Commission presented the EU Action Plan Against Cyberbullying – a package of measures aimed at protecting the mental health and well-being of children and young people in the digital environment. The Plan sets out a coordinated approach to preventing and addressing cyberbullying online.
The Plan responds to alarming data on the scale of the problem among minors: according to information from the Commission, approximately 1 in 6 children aged 11–15 report having been victims of cyberbullying, while around 1 in 8 admit to having engaged in such behaviour.
Cyberbullying is no longer a “marginal” risk but a serious and widespread issue in the digital environment, affecting:

• mental health and school integration and performance;
• the sense of safety in online spaces;
• the ability of institutions to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner, particularly where content and platforms operate across borders.

The Commission frames the Plan as an urgent initiative to safeguard children’s rights and well-being online, including protection against online bullying and other forms of digital harassment.
The Plan forms part of broader EU efforts such as the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy and measures under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to enhance children’s online safety. It complements existing tools and policies. The Three Main Pillars of the Action Plan Against Cyberbullying
Pillar 1: EU-wide reporting application and real support
The most concrete measure under the Plan is the creation of an EU-wide application (app) that will enable victims to:

• report cases of cyberbullying in an easy and accessible manner;
• receive support and guidance to national helplines and services;
• securely store evidence of abuse (e.g. screenshots, links, contextual information) that may be used in further action.

The Commission will develop a “blueprint” (template/model) that Member States can adapt, translate and connect to their respective national services. In many cases, victims and their parents struggle to identify where to file a report, what evidence to provide, and how to obtain psychological or legal support. The application aims to make this process clearer, more accessible and more practical.

Pillar 2: Coordination among Member States and a common approach
The second pillar focuses on improving coordination of national policies in order to avoid significant differences in approaches and definitions across Member States.
The Plan encourages Member States to:

• develop national strategies to combat cyberbullying;
• adopt a common definition and compatible approaches for collecting and comparing data;
• strengthen coordination among institutions and relevant stakeholders.

The objective is to achieve a more harmonised and effective response across the EU.
In practice, shared concepts and comparable data enable more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of various measures — such as school programmes, awareness campaigns, helplines and reporting procedures — and facilitate the scaling up of proven successful models.
 
Pillar 3: Prevention through safer digital practices and education
The third pillar focuses on prevention by:

• promoting safer and more responsible digital practices from an early age;
• improving resources, training and support for teachers, parents, schools and young people.

This approach complements digital literacy efforts and supports sustainable improvements in online safety.
 
Expectations for Online Platforms and the Sensitivity of the Issue
Although the Plan is primarily focused on supporting victims and improving national coordination, public discussions suggest that the European Commission is also addressing the role of online platforms. Platforms are expected to strengthen measures to prevent harmful content and facilitate reporting mechanisms, including through more rigorous enforcement and further refinement of existing requirements under the Digital Services Act concerning the protection of minors.
The role of platforms remains a sensitive issue, as it requires a careful balance between reactive notice-and-action mechanisms and more structured safety-by-design approaches.