Child Safety on Social Networks: Limitations and Legal Measures

This article reflects on a guest lecture delivered at the Faculty of Law, Kolegji AAB, on child safety on social networks. It considers key legal questions raised in discussion with master’s-level students and outlines the principal legal and practical issues for protecting minors online in Kosovo and in the European Union.

1. The Legal Context in Kosovo and the EU

Child protection on social networks sits at the intersection of privacy law, criminal law, consumer protection, and the regulation of digital services. In Kosovo and across the EU, the legal framework seeks to balance two imperatives: enabling minors to benefit from digital communication and education, while reducing their exposure to cyberbullying, grooming, privacy violations, and harmful or age-inappropriate content.

In practice, this balance is pursued through a combination of general rules that apply to all users of online services and specific safeguards designed for minors. These safeguards typically concern the collection and use of children’s data, the accessibility of harmful content, and the availability of clear mechanisms for reporting and addressing abuse.

2. Platform Responsibilities

Social media platforms and other intermediaries play a central role in the online environment of minors. While legal details differ between Kosovo and EU jurisdictions, several core expectations are consistent:

• Risk-aware design: Platforms are expected to recognise that children form a significant part of their user base and to reflect this in product design, default settings, and content recommendation systems.
• Privacy and data protection: The collection, profiling, and commercial use of children’s data must be approached with particular restraint and transparency, with clear, age-appropriate explanations of how data are used.
• Reporting and response mechanisms: Users, including minors and their guardians, must be able to report abuse, cyberbullying, grooming attempts, and harmful content easily, with procedures in place for timely and effective response.
• Content moderation policies: Platforms should maintain and apply clear standards on harassment, impersonation, sexual exploitation, and the dissemination of harmful material, with internal processes to escalate severe cases to competent authorities where required by law.

These responsibilities do not displace the obligations of users or public authorities, but they are crucial in shaping the practical level of safety experienced by minors online.

3. Institutional Roles and Cooperation

Effective protection of minors on social networks depends on coordinated action among several institutions. In Kosovo and in EU member states, this typically involves criminal justice authorities, child protection bodies, data protection authorities, education institutions, and regulators overseeing electronic communications or digital services.

Each of these institutions operates within its own mandate, but cooperation is essential. Criminal law alone cannot address the full range of online risks, just as education and awareness efforts cannot substitute for enforcement when children are targeted by serious abuse or exploitation. Clear channels for referrals, information-sharing within legal limits, and joint awareness campaigns all contribute to a more coherent system of protection.

4. Preventive Measures to Protect Minors

During the lecture, particular attention was paid to practical steps that can be taken by parents, schools, and young users themselves to reduce risks on social networks. While these measures cannot eliminate all threats, they substantially improve the chances of early detection and effective response.

• Awareness and digital literacy: Minors benefit from clear guidance on recognising cyberbullying, grooming, and other forms of manipulation, and on how to respond safely.
• Privacy-conscious use of platforms: Adjusting privacy settings, limiting the visibility of personal information, and exercising restraint in sharing images and location details all reduce opportunities for misuse.
• Structured support in schools: Schools can integrate online safety into curricula and provide trusted points of contact when students experience online abuse, ensuring that concerns are escalated appropriately.
• Parental engagement: Open dialogue between parents and children about social media use, supported by basic technical understanding of platforms, helps minors feel able to report negative experiences without fear of disproportionate reactions.
• Use of reporting channels: Knowing how to report abusive behaviour or harmful content to platforms and, where appropriate, to relevant authorities is an essential part of protecting minors and others at risk.

These preventive steps complement, but do not replace, the need for ongoing adaptation of legal frameworks and enforcement practices as digital technologies and social media models evolve.

5. FXZ Law Perspective

The discussion with students at Kolegji AAB underscored that child safety on social networks is not only a technical or educational matter, but also a legal one that will continue to develop in Kosovo and the EU. Careful interpretation of existing rules, together with attention to emerging regulatory approaches, is necessary for institutions, platforms, and families seeking to protect minors online.

FXZ Law advises clients on the legal aspects of online safety, platform responsibilities, and child protection in the digital environment. For organisations or individuals seeking structured legal guidance on these issues, our team is available to discuss specific questions and requirements.