Europeans deeply concerned about children’s use of social media

27 March 2026


English
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Data

Data protection

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

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With terrorism, cyber-attacks and sophisticated cross-border criminal networks posing growing threats, the work of intelligence services has become more urgent, complex and international. Such work can strongly interfere with fundamental rights, especially privacy and data protection. While continuous technological advances potentially exacerbate the threat of such interference, effective oversight and remedies can curb the potential for abuse.
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Fundamental rights considerations for law enforcement when processing Passenger Name Record data

FRA was requested by the European Commission (EC) in January 2014 to provide practical guidance on the processing of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for law enforcement purposes, in light of efforts by Member States to establish national PNR systems. As a result, in informal consultation with EC services and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and building on opinions FRA, the EDPS and the Article 29 Working Party on PNR, FRA presented twelve fundamental rights considerations to EU Member States experts at technical level.
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Technological advances make it ever more important to safeguard the right to personal data, which is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Data protection violations arise principally from internet‑based activities, direct marketing and video surveillance, perpetrated by, for example, government bodies or financial and health institutions, research by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows.
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EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

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  •
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    18
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    2021

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    This report examines the EU’s main criminal law instrument in the field of counter-terrorism, Directive (EU) 2017/541. Specifically, it considers how the directive engages issues of fundamental rights, affecting individuals, groups and society as a whole.
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    This report proposes a framework for becoming, and functioning as, a ‘human rights city’ in the EU. It includes ‘foundations’, ‘structures’ and ‘tools’ for mayors, local administrations and grassroots organisations to reinforce fundamental rights locally. It is based on existing good practice and expert input by representatives of human rights cities in the EU, academic experts, international organisations and city networks.

  •
    Handbook / Guide / Manual
    22
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    Handbook on European law relating to access to justice

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  •
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Highlights

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    Leaflet / Flyer
    20
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    Child rights in the EU – Supporting you, Supporting them

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20
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13
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Christophe Vander Eecken / EEA and Norway Grants
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25
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Periodic updates / Series
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Children, youth and older people
30
June
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Coronavirus pandemic in the EU – Fundamental Rights Implications – Bulletin 3

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to interrupt everyday life in the EU in unprecedented ways. But the way it affects our societies is shifting. As governments gradually lift some of the measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, new fundamental rights concerns arise: how to ensure that the rights to life and health are upheld as daily life transitions to a ‘new normal’. This Bulletin looks at declarations of states of emergency, or equivalent, and how they came under scrutiny. It considers
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Relocating unaccompanied children: applying good practices to future schemes

In recent years, thousands of girls and boys have reached Europe without their parents, and sought international protection. Many of them experienced violence, abuse and neglect in their home countries, and while in transit. They have the right to be protected in line with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention on Human Rights, and European Union law. This report explores the challenges and good practices gathered in the implementation of such relocation programmes. Based on information FRA collected in 10 EU Member States, it aims to help national authorities to support the relocation of unaccompanied children by taking measures that are fully rights compliant and practically feasible.
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Primary theme
Data

Data protection, privacy and new technologies

More of our everyday lives are online — both at work and home. Meanwhile, terror attacks intensify calls for more surveillance. Concerns grow over the safety of our privacy and personal data.

FRA helps lawmakers and practitioners protect your rights in a connected world.

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Highlights

  •
    Report / Paper / Summary
    18
    November
    2021

    Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism ― Impact on fundamental rights and freedoms

    This report examines the EU’s main criminal law instrument in the field of counter-terrorism, Directive (EU) 2017/541. Specifically, it considers how the directive engages issues of fundamental rights, affecting individuals, groups and society as a whole.
  • Urban girl striding through city area

    Report / Paper / Summary
    11
    October
    2021

    Human rights cities in the EU: a framework for reinforcing rights locally

    This report proposes a framework for becoming, and functioning as, a ‘human rights city’ in the EU. It includes ‘foundations’, ‘structures’ and ‘tools’ for mayors, local administrations and grassroots organisations to reinforce fundamental rights locally. It is based on existing good practice and expert input by representatives of human rights cities in the EU, academic experts, international organisations and city networks.

  •
    Handbook / Guide / Manual
    22
    June
    2016

    Handbook on European law relating to access to justice

    Access to justice is an important element of the rule of law. It enables individuals to protect themselves against infringements of their rights, to remedy civil wrongs, to hold executive power accountable and to defend themselves in criminal proceedings. This handbook summarises the key European legal principles in the area of access to justice, focusing on civil and criminal law.

  •
    Page

    Criminal Detention Database

    The Criminal Detention Database 2015-2022 combines in one place information on detention conditions in all 27 EU Member States as well as the United Kingdom.
    Access database

Highlights

  •
    Handbook / Guide / Manual
    25
    May
    2018

    Handbook on European data protection law – 2018 edition

    The rapid development of information technology has exacerbated the need for robust personal data protection, the right to which is safeguarded by both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) instruments. Safeguarding this important right entails new and significant challenges as technological advances expand the frontiers of areas such as surveillance, communication interception and data storage. This handbook is designed to familiarise legal practitioners not specialised in data protection with this emerging area of the law.

  •
    Infographic

    Widespread data protection abuses highlighted by GDPR

    Fundamental Rights Report 2019: 2018 was a landmark year for data protection. New EU rules took effect and complaints of breaches increased significantly.

  •
    Video

    Video blog by Michael O’Flaherty: data protection

    This video blog by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty is released periodically and will address burning fundamental rights themes.
Products

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Security
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
22
January
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Regulating online terrorist content – Balancing public safety and fundamental rights

Online terrorist content is a threat to fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy. EU measures to tackle such content aim to prevent terrorism while upholding these values. FRA’s report looks at how online terrorist content is detected and removed under EU legislation. It highlights challenges in interpreting rules, risks of over-removal and potential impacts on freedom of expression. It finds that moderation practices by authorities and platforms can disproportionately affect certain groups, such as Muslims and Arabic speakers, while far-right content often receives less scrutiny. The findings, based on research and expert interviews with those addressing online terrorist content, offer ways to improve transparency in content moderation and to better balance public security and fundamental rights, contributing to wider debates on regulating online content responsibly.
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Video
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Artificial intelligence and big data

Fundamental rights assessment of high-risk AI

The report ‘Assessing high-risk artificial intelligence’ examines the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in five areas defined as high-risk under the AI Act: asylum, education, employment, law enforcement and public benefits. This video provides information about the findings of the report, underlining the need for a responsible use of AI which in turn earns public trust, fuels innovation and drives sustainable technological progress.
Download report
Video
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Support for human rights systems and defenders

Fundamental Rights Report 2025

The Fundamental Rights Report 2025 provides a comprehensive overview of the state of fundamental rights in the European Union, highlighting major developments and trends in 2024. This video provides an insight into the issues covered by this year’s report.
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Artificial intelligence and big data
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4
December
2025

Assessing High-risk Artificial Intelligence: Fundamental Rights Risks

Artificial Intelligence comes with both benefits and risks. Safe AI use that accounts for fundamental rights is thus crucial. While the 2024 EU AI Act was a milestone in this regard, its broad definitions regarding AI systems and high-risk AI could introduce loopholes for fundamental rights compliance. This report offers an empirical basis for much-needed practical guidance on the Act’s implementation. Based on interviews with AI developers, sellers, and users, FRA addresses challenges of its use in critical domains, like asylum, education, and employment. Our findings help guide next steps in realising the AI Act’s potential to ensure responsible innovation.
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Report / Paper / Summary
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
13
November
2025

Digitalising Justice: A fundamental rights-based approach

FRA analysed 31 digital tools and systems across seven EU Member States, exploring potential positive and negative effects on victims, claimants and defendants. By identifying risks early, investing in skills and training, and embedding protections from the outset, policymakers and practitioners can build effective and inclusive justice systems. This report provides practical suggestions to help ensure that digitalised justice systems are accessible and deliver fair outcomes for all.
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Handbook / Guide / Manual
Borders and information systems
Asylum, migration and borders
Borders and information systems
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
8
October
2025

Entry/Exit System: Fundamental rights guidance for managers

The Entry/Exit System (EES), launching in 2025, will register non-EU nationals crossing the EU’s external borders. This FRA guidance supports managers overseeing the operation of the new system. It helps them to ensure compliance with EU fundamental rights. It outlines operational considerations: clear communication, dignified biometric data collection and data protection. It also addresses staff training needs. Based on fieldwork at 10 border crossing points in 6 Member States, the guidance will ensure rights are respected under the new system. A separate guidance publication for border guards accompanies this publication.
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EU IT systems for migration and policing
Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
10
June
2025

Fundamental Rights Report 2025 – FRA opinions

This publication is an excerpt from the Fundamental Rights Report 2025, the annual report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It presents selected critical developments in fundamental rights in 2024, as well as the key findings and FRA opinions from the report’s chapters.
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Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
10
June
2025

Fundamental Rights Report 2025

The Fundamental Rights Report 2025 is the annual report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It provides an overview of the state of fundamental rights in the EU and highlights selected critical developments and trends in 2024. The report covers issues such as inclusive elections, gender-based violence, and the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, setting out the actions that the EU and Member States should take. This annual publication is a valuable resource for those seeking to stay informed about the EU’s shifting landscape of fundamental rights.
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Video
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Artificial intelligence and big data

Fundamental Rights Forum 2024 – Ensuring rights-compliant digitalisation

In an increasingly digital world, tech advances affect almost all aspects of our lives and our rights. This FRF theme tackles topics such as regulating digitalisation without stifling innovation or surveillance-based advertising. Notable speakers include Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director at EUROPOL, Daniel Howden, Founder and Director of Lighthouse Reports, Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice-President for European Government Affairs at Microsoft, Alexandria Walden, Global Head of Human Rights at Google, among others.
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GDPR report cover image

Report / Paper / Summary
Data protection
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
11
June
2024

GDPR in practice – Experiences of data protection authorities

Data protection rules protect privacy and prevent personal information from misuse. When the general data protection regulation (GDPR) came into force in 2018, it strengthened the role of data protection authorities. These supervisory bodies are the key enforcers of the fundamental right of protection of personal data. This report analyses the challenges they face in the GDPR implementation. The findings complement the European Commission’s forthcoming evaluation of the GDPR.
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FRA's Fundamental rights report 2024

Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Environmental and social sustainability
5
June
2024

Fundamental Rights Report 2024

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2024 analyses the year’s developments in fundamental rights. It focuses on the most pressing fundamental rights concerns facing Europe in 2023: the cost-of-living crisis, rights concerns at the EU’s external borders and migration, and threats to democracy. Re-structured, this year’s new approach is a shorter and sharper analysis. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a summary of the evidence supporting these opinions.
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Fundamental Rights Report 2024 - FRA Opinions

Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
5
June
2024

Fundamental Rights Report 2024 – FRA opinions

The year 2023 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. In so doing, it provides a compact but informative overview of the main fundamental rights challenges confronting the EU and its Member States.
Report / Paper / Summary
Hate crime
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
29
November
2023

Online content moderation – Current challenges in detecting hate speech

Online hate speech is a growing problem in today’s digitalised societies. Women, Black people, Jews and Roma are often targets of online hate speech. Online hate proliferates where human content moderators miss offensive content. Also, algorithms are prone to errors. They may multiply errors over time and may even end up promoting online hate. This report presents the challenges in identifying and detecting online hate. Hate of any kind should not be tolerated, regardless of whether it is online or offline. The report discusses the implications for fundamental rights to support creating a rights-compliant digital environment.
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Report / Paper / Summary
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
20
October
2023

FRA Strategic Plan 2023-2028

FRA’s strategic priorities and objectives are based on the agency’s role and mission as defined in its amended founding regulation. They build on FRA’s 2018–2022 strategy as well as how it performed, its experience and its vision. Their design takes into account future fundamental rights challenges facing Europe, the agency’s mandate, the broader operational context and the resources available.
Fundamental Rights Report 2023 - Ukraine flag, data protection, eyeball with hand and child in poverty

Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
8
June
2023

Fundamental Rights Report 2023

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field in 2022, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
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Fundamental Rights Report
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Support for human rights systems and defenders
8
June
2023

Fundamental Rights Report 2023 – FRA opinions

The year 2022 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
Hands on a keyboard

Report / Paper / Summary
Data protection
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
24
May
2023

Surveillance by intelligence services: Fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU – 2023 update

This report provides a partial update on the findings of the 2017 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report Surveillance by intelligence services: Fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU. It was prepared at the request of the European Parliament, which asked FRA to update its 2017 findings to support the work of its committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA).
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Download 2017 surveillance report
Young woman with screenoverlaid

Report / Paper / Summary
Artificial intelligence and big data
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
8
December
2022

Bias in algorithms – Artificial intelligence and discrimination

Artificial intelligence is everywhere and affects everyone – from deciding what content people see on their social media feeds to determining who will receive state benefits. AI technologies are typically based on algorithms that make predictions to support or even fully automate decision-making.
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Video
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Artificial intelligence and big data

Video blog by Michael O’Flaherty: AI and Algorithms

In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty talks about artificial intelligence and algorithms. While AI can be a powerful force for good, he points out that humans must supervise very closely the application of AI and a permanent testing of every possible application is needed. On 8 December, FRA is publishing a new report on bias in algorithms.

Report / Paper / Summary
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
11
November
2022

Putting human rights at the heart of Europe’s future – Meeting report

Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history. It is a moment of existential significance for the wellbeing and sustainability of our societies. It is emerging from the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease, only to face a set of major overlapping challenges. These pose profound questions about the political, economic and societal future of the continent. To discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action, FRA brought together a group of sixty human rights leaders and experts with diverse backgrounds
from across the continent. This report distils the meeting discussions, including analysis and ideas, and concludes with proposals for action. It does not represent the views either of individual participants or of FRA.
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Summary
The majority of people in the EU are concerned about protecting children online and support age limits for social media use, according to recent survey data from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Fear of exploitation, exposure to harmful content or addiction to social media are among the main concerns cited by respondents. FRA’s findings can help shape discussions on how best to protect children online and ensure respect for fundamental rights.
Published At
2026-03-27T12:00:00
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FRA joins Council of Europe social rights conference