News item | 04-09-2025 | 17:12
Children learn, relax and make friends online. That is positive, but there are also risks: such as cyberbullying, violent images and health problems due to too much screen time. That is why State Secretary Van Marum today presents the Children’s Rights Online Strategy and 3 investigations into Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat in the field of children’s rights. The strategy focuses, among other things, on improving European legislation and enforcement, supporting parents and increasing the digital resilience of children.
State Secretary Eddie van Marum: “In daily life we often know exactly where our children are playing and with whom. But online a child quickly gets out of the picture. This makes it not always clear what children encounter online and what risks they run. With the Children’s Rights Strategy, together with other ministries and social organizations, we are taking concrete steps to tackle that risks and te them Te Te Te Te Te Te Te Te Te Te Te. Screen time, without removing the fun and educational sides of the digital world. ”
Improve and maintain European legislation
Different laws ensure that children are protected online. The government is always looking at whether the current laws are sufficiently protecting children or whether extra action is needed. That is not the case now, that is why extra action is needed. The Netherlands argues in a European context for enforcement of the Digital Service Act (DSA) and taking measures against addictive and polarizing design techniques. The government also wants to regulate the game industry by making a ban on purchases within a game whose outcome is unknown (Lootbox), pay-to-win mechanisms and the use of digital coins. In addition, it is examined how age verification – for example online gambling – safe, including privacy -friendly and practical, can be implemented.
Smartphone use and digital resilience
Parents struggle with the smartphone use of their children. That is why State Secretary of Marum is launching the ‘Stay in the picture’ public campaign on 8 September. This campaign helps parents of children between the ages of 7 and 12 to discuss their smartphone use, and to make good agreements with each other.
In order to make children digitally resilient, digital skills must be given a permanent place at school. Children should learn how technology works, how they can protect themselves online and how they can recognize fake news. Schools, governments, libraries and companies work together. In this way we help children step by step to grow up safely and consciously in a digitizing world.
Research into Snapchat, Tiktok and Instagram
3 studies – so -called children’s rights Impact Assessments (KIAs) – shows that social media such as Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat have both good and bad sides for children. The platforms did not participate in the study, so that only public sources were used, such as previous studies and public data.
The KIAs show that children – despite measures from the platforms themselves – are exposed to violent and harmful images, advertising and online abuse. Scientific research shows that this can have a negative influence on children. Because the companies did not share their own data, it is not known exactly how large the risks are per platform. An important conclusion of the KIAS is that companies must become more transparent about the risks of their digital service for children. State Secretary of Marum will work hard for this in Europe.
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations wants to carry out more KIAs in the coming period, also for game platforms and streaming services. In addition, the ministry continues to talk to the companies behind Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat and, together with other European countries, investigates how platforms can become more transparent about their operation and risks.