Presented to the Chamber of Deputies on Monday 17 November by Ombudsman fir Kanner a Jugendlecher, Charel Schmit, Okaju’s 2025 annual report sounds a warning: Luxembourg is allowing a digital environment to develop where children are evolving “without sufficient protection” and where risks are exploding. The institution, which had already outlined a series of avenues in its 2024 report to protect children in the digital universe, notes that “(this) environment poses growing challenges”, mentioning “cyberharassment, sextortion, grooming” and early exposure to pornography and CSAM (child sexual abuse material), artificially generated with AI. The report notes that the age of first contact with such content “is falling every year”.
Early and unsupervised access to smartphones is identified as an aggravating factor. Okaju points out that “the majority of children in Luxembourg are equipped with a smartphone before the age of 12 and access the internet unsupervised, even though they do not yet have the required autonomy and discernment”. The institution considers “the approach of introducing a strict legal and technical threshold of 15 years for digital autonomy” to be more protective.
Charel Schmit explained that firmer regulation of the digital market is essential. In particular, he called for the introduction of robust age checks, or a mapping of pornographic platforms. (Photo: Chambre des députés)
The children’s testimonies gathered for the report confirm the extent of the dangers. One child described in English: “I don’t feel safe on the internet, especially on online games like Roblox, because there are kidnappers who pretend to be children when they are actually adults”. Another warns: “It’s dangerous to send photos to people.”
The economic logic of platforms
Okaju also deplores the ineffectiveness of current protection systems. In the absence of harmonised tools, “the systems in place vary from platform to platform, do not always guarantee the reliability or confidentiality of data, and are easily circumvented”. The European guidelines “do not sufficiently tackle the economic logic of platforms, which encourages engagement and exposure to systemic risks”.
Charel Schmit explained that firmer regulation of the digital market is essential. He called for “stronger (...) protections” via the Digital Services Act and the introduction of robust age verification, the mapping of pornographic platforms and greater coordination between regulators and public players. “Protecting children in the digital environment requires an interministerial approach, greater coordination between public players and more collective and regulatory mobilisation of Luxembourg society”, he concludes.
