Meeting for the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs debated the fight against cyber-bullying of young people in the EU on Wednesday 10 May. All political groups agreed that the EU must do more to prevent and combat digital harassment, denouncing a “pandemic of cyber-bullying” and “the modern face of violence”.
Invited by the EPP, Jackie Fox followed their contributions from the sidelines. Following the suicide of her daughter, Nicole ‘Coco’ Fox, who was being bullied online, this mother campaigned for the non-consensual sharing of intimate photos online to be criminalised in Ireland. She would now like to see “Coco’s Law”, which came into force in 2021, replicated across the EU (see EUROPE 13173/1).
Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, who was also present, stated that the EU already has an arsenal of measures to make the digital space safer.
For example, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) require platforms to take measures to protect users who are minors. In parallel, the European Commission adopted a Better Internet for Kids strategy (BIK+) in 2022. This aims to both protect and empower children online. “We want also to review the directive on victims’ rights […] and we are trying to convince the Member States to extend the list of ‘Eurocrimes’ to hate crime”, he added.
Finally, the proposal for a directive to combat violence against women proposes to criminalise gender-based cyber-violence. “If agreed, this will be the first such EU legislation in this area and will save lives”, stressed co-rapporteur Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Irish) ahead of the debate. “Cyber-bullying must be tackled at EU level to ensure that people across Europe have the same level of protection against online abuse”, she argued. (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)