The protection of children online has become one of the most politically sensitive and contested areas of digital regulation in Europe. In this online training, you will understand why member states are 'going their own way', how national initiatives interact with EU law, and what it means for platforms, media actors and regulators.
This event has passedThe protection of children online has become one of the most politically sensitive and contested areas of digital regulation in Europe.
While the EU has put in place a horizontal regulatory framework applicable to online platforms, many member states are adopting additional and diverging national measures, ranging from social media bans, age verification for adult services, and parental control devices. This surge in national initiatives raises questions about the effectiveness, coherence and enforceability of the existing EU framework.
At the same time, enforcement under the Digital Services Act (DSA) is gaining momentum, and rapid technological developments, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), are creating new risks and regulatory challenges.
In this context, understanding why member states are "going their own way" and how national initiatives interact with EU law has become essential for platforms, media actors and regulators alike.
By attending this online training, you will:
- Gain a clear overview of national initiatives aimed at protecting children online across Europe
- Understand the scope and limits of the EU regulatory framework applicable to online child protection
- Analyse how the DSA is being enforced in practice in this area
- Identify the main drivers behind recent initiatives at national level
- Assess the challenges raised by new technologies, including AI
- Understand the implications for platforms, media services and regulators
The training combines regulatory analysis with concrete examples across Europe.
Registration:
- Register here if you are subscribed to Cullen International
- Register here if you are not yet a Cullen International client
This training is part of our online training "Mastering European media regulation".
agenda
Thursday, 23 April 2026 - from 2PM to 5PM CEST/GMT+2
14:00 - Welcome and outline of the training session
14:10 - Online child protection at the top of the political agenda at EU and national level. Key societal concerns
14:20 - Rules of the Digital Services Act to protect minors, and the EU Commission’s guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of safety, security and privacy for minors. The EU Commission’s efforts to develop a common solution for age verification
14:50 - Enforcement of the Digital Services Act. Status of the EU Commission’s enforcement actions: addictive design, access to harmful content and age verification for adult platforms
15:20 – Overall EU architecture and other horizontal EU rules: the General Data Protection Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Act. Future initiatives and potential additional overlaps: the Digital Fairness Act and the revision of the Audiovisual Media Service Directive
15:50 - EU versus national competences on the protection of minors. The country-of-origin principle
16:05 - National measures. Different approaches to banning social media, age verification for adult platforms, and other measures to fight harmful content. Focus on France
16:30 - Compatibility of national initiatives with EU rules. Main points of the Commission’s opinions under the EU Regulatory Transparency Procedures
16:40 - Brainstorming session on the way forward
17:00 - End of the training session
fee & registrations
Standard fee: €847 (for Cullen International subscribers)
Fee per delegate (VAT included)
Fee for Cullen International subscribers: €847 (€700 VAT excluded)
Fee for non-subscribers: €1,089 (€900 VAT excluded)
10% discount for multiple registrations from the same organisation.
Belgian VAT (21%) is applicable on all bookings.
Payment can be made by bank transfer or by credit card and in all cases before the event starts.
Post-event impressions
speakers
Michèle Ledger
Head of Media
Laura Sboarina
Manager – Media EU
Jérôme Dheur
Principal Analyst
contact information
For more information about this event, please contact:
logistics & registrations
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