April 2026 witnessed significant moves in digital policy worldwide, with regulators and governments advancing legal frameworks targeting platform accountability, online safety, AI regulation, and protecting minors from harmful digital content.
- Council of Europe recommends stronger online safety and platform regulations.
- European Commission probes Meta for Digital Services Act violations.
- Turkey enacts new law restricting social media access for children under 15.
What happened
In April 2026, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers issued a recommendation urging member states to adopt robust legal frameworks enhancing online safety and holding platforms accountable. This includes calls for safety-by-design in digital services and measures to improve user transparency in content moderation and recommendation algorithms. Concurrently, the European Parliament passed a resolution targeting cyberbullying and online harassment with an emphasis on coordinated legislative responses and platform responsibility.
The European Commission also advanced a unified EU approach for age verification technologies, promoting privacy-respecting anonymous proof methods, with a goal for EU countries to implement these solutions by the end of the year. Enforcement pressure increased as the Commission preliminarily found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act due to inadequate barriers preventing under-13s from accessing Facebook and Instagram.
Why it matters
These developments reflect a growing global commitment to regulate digital spaces more effectively, balancing user empowerment with enhanced platform accountability. The focus on safety-by-design and transparency speaks to deeper regulatory ambitions to create trustworthy digital environments amid rising concerns about online harms, misinformation, and privacy.
National policies, such as Turkey’s new law restricting social media access for children under 15 and Germany’s draft bill criminalizing various digital offenses, illustrate an intensifying trend where governments seek greater control and protective measures in digital interactions. Meanwhile, the European Commission’s targeting of AI risks and misinformation underlines the increasing scrutiny of emerging technologies within media ecosystems.
What to watch next
Monitoring the implementation of the Council of Europe’s recommendations and the EU’s age verification framework will be crucial as member states start applying these policies. Developments around the Digital Services Act enforcement actions, particularly Meta’s compliance or escalation, will also be a key indicator of regulatory impact on platform behavior.
Additionally, stakeholders should watch Italy’s ongoing probe into Google’s AI services and Germany’s legislative process for addressing digital offenses. Turkey’s upcoming enforcement of its social media restrictions for minors, due in November 2026, will set an important precedent for age-based access controls in the region.