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European Parliament Wants Stronger Action against Cyberbullying in the EU

On 30 April, the European Parliament adopted a resolution* on the need for targeted criminal provisions and platforms’ responsibility to effectively address cyberbullying and online harassment, calling for effective and dissuasive penalties for cyberbullying offences, making reporting incidents easier for victims, and closing EU-level legal gaps in acknowledgement of the full scale and severity of the problem.

MEPs are concerned about increasing cyberbullying and image- or video-based abuse online, suggesting existing measures in place may not be sufficient. They want the Commission to assess whether a harmonised definition of cyberbullying at the EU level is needed, and whether it should be recognised as a cross-border EU crime. Another avenue, they argue, would be to add hate crime to the list of EU crimes, as this would also cover the most serious cases.

MEPs emphasise the need to hold online platforms accountable in the prevention and countering of cyberbullying, warning of certain business models that incentivise the spread of hateful content, especially affecting children with disabilities, minors, women and girls, people from minority backgrounds and the LGBTIQ+ community. They also criticise hyper-personalised recommender systems pushing hate speech and down-ranking less divisive content.

The text recalls the need to strengthen protection and support for victims of cyberbullying and to increase funds for victim’s organisations, integrating cyberbullying and response measures into national mental health strategies.

*A European Parliament Resolution is a formal statement or opinion adopted by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during a plenary session. While they are generally non-binding and do not enact direct EU law, they serve as powerful political tools to scrutinize other EU institutions, voice stances on global issues, and urge legislative action.