Youth participationThe Youth Panel as a guest of the Expert Commission "Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World"
The expert commission "Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World" began its work in fall 2025. Its aim is to develop recommendations for action for a safe, digital environment for children and young people. To this end, it invites experts to hearings and asks them to submit written statements. This enables the Commission to gain a comprehensive picture so that it can make recommendations for action to the relevant stakeholders from politics and civil society at the end of the process.
The first hearing on the topic of "Perspectives of children and young people" took place on February 10, 2026. Two members of our klicksafe Youth Panel were invited to take part as experts. Sophie was on site in Berlin and Nadja took part online. The approximately 30 invited experts were heard for a total of three hours.
Nadja
"It was really interesting and I'm glad I was able to be there. Everyone actually had their say and I really felt heard. I thought it was very good that the expert commission wanted to know so precisely and specifically what problems we face online. I was able to contribute many concrete examples from my work as a media scout, which surprised some of the panel."
The Youth Panel had already submitted a written statement to the Commission in advance based on a list of questions. In this statement, they set out, among other things, which measures they demand for the protection of minors from harmful media and for prevention. They also explained which skills they believe need to be taught to children and young people and who should take on this task. In the questionnaire, the klicksafe Youth Panel also stated: "Children and young people want to be spoken to at eye level, especially when it comes to topics that directly affect them. All too often, adults only talk about them, but not with them."
The hearing of the expert commission on the topic of "Perspectives of children and young people" was a good example of how this demand can be met. And although the hearing was a very positive first step, the Youth Panel calls for the participation of children and young people to be expanded further.
Sophie
"I thought it was good that I was able to be there. I would have liked to talk more specifically about how existing regulations can be reliably implemented and how young people can become even more competent in dealing with media instead of discussing a general ban on social media. I would have liked to have heard more opinions from young people. However, I thought it was good that the expert commission in particular was very interested in the views of the participating youth representatives."
The expert commission is expected to publish its recommendations for action at the end of June 2026. A comprehensive final report will follow in September 2026.
The klicksafe Youth Panel is very much looking forward to this and hopes that the perspective of young people will be taken seriously and reflected in the expert commission's recommendations for action.
You can find the full text of the reviewon this website.
Further information on the klicksafe Youth Panel
On our Youth Panel website for young people we provide regular updates on the current activities of our Youth Panel.
The participants have also produced the Youth Panel Guide, in which they provide tips from young people for young people on how to use the internet safely and make demands for a better internet for children and young people. The Youth Panel Guide can be ordered and downloaded free of charge from our material system.