On July 14, 2025, the European Commission published guidelines on the protection of minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The guidelines address not only harmful content and cyberbullying, but also problematic and addictive behaviours associated with online platforms.

Among the recommended measures are disabling by default features that may encourage excessive use, including streaks, read receipts, autoplay and push notifications. The guidelines also address recommender systems, persuasive design, AI chatbots, virtual currencies and loot boxes.

Comment from GAME-F

The significance of these guidelines lies in a shift of perspective: the issue is not only whether children can control their own use, but also how digital services are designed to keep users engaged.

Disabling individual features will not by itself prevent problematic use. Personal, family and social factors remain important. Nevertheless, the move from focusing solely on the child’s self-control toward examining platform design and responsibility represents an important development in how problematic digital use is understood.

References

European Commission — Protection of minors guidelines

European Commission — DSA guidelines