Big Tech may have to do more to combat cyberbullying, EU says

Online platforms may have to do more to fight cyberbullying, the European Commission said on Tuesday as it announced a slew of measures to tackle a problem that affects one in six children and sparked mounting concerns about their mental health.

The European Union anti-cyberbullying initiative comes as countries around the world consider curbing children's social media access because of its impact on their health and safety.

The Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to do more to counter illegal and harmful content, contains guidelines on protecting minors, with measures to ensure that children can block and mute any user and that they cannot be added to groups online without their consent.

The landmark rulebook will be updated to strengthen the measures that online platforms will have to take to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful content and to easily report it, the EU executive said.

It said another piece of legislation known as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which governs television, broadcasters and video sharing platforms, will also be updated to address the issue.

"Combating cyberbullying means saving lives, because cyberbullying harms, hurts, and sometimes takes the people we love. It is a pandemic we must address," Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for youth, culture and sport said in a statement.

The Commission said its action plan included rolling out an EU-wide app allowing victims to report cyberbullying to a national helpline, store and send evidence as well as get support.

-Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise/Reuters