IT IS URGENT TO ACT IN THE FACE OF THE INCREASE IN ONLINE VIOLENCE

Because online violence evolves with usage and technology, Respect Zone actively contributes to the public debate on the digital challenges of tomorrow.

We analyze, raise awareness, and propose courses of action to advance policies, practices, and attitudes.

Raising awareness means informing decision-makers and society so they can anticipate rather than react.

Cyberbullying, hate speech, sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic attacks, fake news: online violence is becoming a daily reality for millions of internet users, especially young people. Victims are too often left to fend for themselves. Platforms evade their responsibilities. The law struggles to keep up. And yet, solutions do exist.

In France, three out of four children under the age of 13 report having a social media account, nearly one in two teenagers has been exposed to hate speech online, and one in five says they have been a victim of cyberbullying.

Beyond harassment, young people are confronted with a wide range of violent or toxic content: fake news, sexist rhetoric, incitement to suicide, hypersexualization, conspiracy theories, and calls to hatred. This content circulates freely, amplified by algorithms that prioritize emotion and virality. The digital space has thus become a breeding ground for systemic violence, where the youngest and marginalized groups are the primary targets.

Faced with this reality, ambitious and tailored digital education is more necessary than ever.

For over ten years, Respect Zone has been working to build a safer and more respectful internet. Present on the ground with young people, schools, local authorities, and businesses, our organization leverages its legal, educational, and technological expertise to combat cyberviolence and evolve the regulatory and cultural framework of the digital world. Given the scale of the challenge, we call for decisive action.

1. Create a right to digital dignity, as a priority for minors

Enshrining this fundamental right in European and national law would create a cross-cutting legal framework guaranteeing the protection of individuals across all digital environments (social networks, search engines, AI, online games).

This would provide a structuring legal basis for reconciling freedom of expression with respect for human dignity, moving beyond current sector-specific approaches.

2. Establish a digital age of majority at 15

Implement mandatory parental controls for children under 15, with widespread use of age verification.

Develop secure digital spaces for minors: create "minor" accounts with specific protections (disabling sponsored content, enhanced moderation filters, adapted algorithms), and establish a Code of Conduct for child-specific platforms, integrated within the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

3. Develop educational mediation between young people and users

Implement educational and restorative mediation programs for conflicts between users (perpetrators and victims of cyberviolence), by expanding the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and entrusting them to NGOs and professionals trained in adolescent psychology.

Dedicated funding provided by the platforms to prevent recidivism and support the recovery of victims.

4. Implement a genuine digital education policy

Critical digital education from primary school onwards: understanding algorithms, virality, disinformation, hate speech and manipulation, and implementing a "screen and network license" involving parents.

Training for adults in educational settings (teachers, educators, parents, social workers) on digital practices and risky behaviors.

Empowering stakeholders with "sensitive content" ratings inspired by PEGI and ethical charters for influencers. Mandatory contributions from platforms (a percentage of advertising revenue or allocation of a portion of the digital services tax) to support these public interest missions.

5. Strengthen trusted whistleblowers

Guaranteeing Digital Services Act (DSA) trusted whistleblowers priority technical access to platform reporting tools.

Institutional recognition of the key role of NGOs in effective, independent regulation grounded in real-world experience.

6. Impose new obligations on platforms regarding the transparency of algorithms and access to moderation data

Publication of algorithm operating criteria and provision of a reset function.

Regular independent audits and facilitated access to moderation data for NGOs accredited under the DSA.

Integrate intermediary platforms (such as Discord, Twitch, and Telegram) and generative AI into the obligations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), currently limited to "very large platforms" (VLOPs): audits, reporting, moderation, transparency, and legal accountability for harmful content.

Create a DSA/AI Act co-regulatory mechanism to ensure consistent protection of minors, independent ethical oversight, and easier access to moderation data for NGOs.

7. Expand the scope of the Digital Services Act to include generative AI and intermediary platforms

8. Strengthen legal sanctions with digital bans

Make online banning a supplementary penalty for serious online violence, in accordance with the SREN law (Article 16), by ensuring swift and coordinated enforcement across platforms through harmonized identification and suspension mechanisms.