Commission guidelines under Article 28(4) DSA on privacy, safety and security for minors on online platforms.
Authority
Commission
Reference
C/2025/5519
Legal basis
Article 28(4) DSA
Status
In force
Published
10 October 2025
Source
Documents
Provenance
Machine-verified source record. Full guideline text remains at the official OJ source.
The guidelines were issued under Article 28(4) DSA after consultation of the European Board for Digital Services.
They assist providers of online platforms accessible to minors in applying Article 28(1) DSA.
They also help Digital Services Coordinators and competent national authorities when applying and interpreting Article 28 DSA.
Micro and small enterprises remain outside Article 28(1) DSA unless their platform has been designated as a very large online platform under Article 33(4) DSA.
The Commission states that it will use the guidelines when applying Article 28(1) DSA and assessing providers of online platforms accessible to minors.
The guidelines are non-binding. Implementing them does not automatically establish compliance with Article 28(1) DSA.
Authoritative interpretation of Article 28(1) DSA remains for the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The guidelines organise measures around privacy, safety and security by design for minors.
The Commission identifies risk areas including unwanted contact, harmful content, harmful commercial practices, cyberbullying, addictive design, and problematic or excessive use.
The guidelines address account defaults, recommender systems, reporting and moderation tools, parental controls, commercial features, and age-assurance methods.
The guidelines should be read with other DSA provisions relevant to minors, including Article 14, Article 16, Article 17, Article 25, Article 26, Article 27 and Article 44 DSA.
DSA Article 28 — online protection of minors.
DSA Article 33 — very large online platforms and search engines.
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