Ukraine Aspires to European Standards for Regulating Digital Platforms and Protecting Minors
According to Interfax-Ukraine, Ukrainian civil society representatives have officially supported European initiatives aimed at strengthening the protection of minors in the digital environment. The initiative aims to establish clearer age restrictions for access to social media and digital platforms, improve verification mechanisms, and implement more effective measures to protect against harmful content.
This decision reflects Ukraine’s intention to align its national digital policy with evolving European standards, where protecting children online has become a strategic priority at the EU level. European institutions are increasingly focusing on issues such as the impact of digital algorithms on minors, targeted advertising, addictive design elements, and the broader impact of digital platforms on the mental health and development of young users.
This step is seen as part of Ukraine’s broader alignment with the European digital legal framework and its commitment to building a safer and more responsible digital ecosystem.
Oleksandr Kamenets, Brussels representative of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association (UNLA) and President of the European Facilitation Platform (EFP), noted:
“The decision to support European initiatives in the area of digital platform regulation and the protection of minors is timely and strategically sound. Ukraine is effectively aligning its policies with future European standards already being developed within the EU for the protection of children in the digital environment.“
From the perspective of the European Facilitation Platform, it is crucial that such decisions are made not after the damage has already been done, but at a stage when the state can still develop a preventive, rather than reactive, regulatory model. This is a clear sign of a mature approach to digital transformation and social policy.
Today, the issue of age of access to digital platforms is no longer simply a technical or legal matter. It is a matter of national resilience, human security, and the development of healthy generations in the face of digital pressure and a rapidly changing information space.
The social responsibility of both business and the state is an integral part of the European value system. Such decisions directly bring Ukraine closer to integration into a single European space of regulation and trust.
The EFP and UNLA fully support the further development of these initiatives and promote dialogue between government agencies, European institutions, the academic community, and the technology sector to achieve a balanced and effective implementation of European standards.
