Child Online Safety: Examining the Progress in Europe
On 3 November 2026 Maestral and Eurochild hosted a timely discussion on child online safety, legislative frameworks and the new EU Kids Act.
The EU KIDS Act (“Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy”), proposed by the European Commission in September 2026, aims to strengthen protections for children in digital spaces. The proposal includes new age-access requirements, stronger age-assurance measures, safety-by-design provisions, and greater accountability for digital services, building on existing EU frameworks including the Digital Services Act and AI Act. This webinar explored what the proposed legislation could mean in practice for children’s rights and safety online, and what is still needed to create safer digital environments for children across Europe.
This webinar was co-developed and facilitated by Eurochild and Maestral Europa.
Panelists
Martin Harris Hess
Head of Sector for Protection of Minors Online, European Commission
During his time in the Commission, Martin has been advising on many matters linked with the Digital Single Market, both from a legal and regulatory as well as a policy development side, including the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Commission’s Digital and Data Strategies. Most recently, Martin joined the Commission’s Directorate in charge of implementing and enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) where he leads, as the Head of Sector, the team on the protection of minors, one of the key enforcement priorities under the DSA. In this role he was responsible for the delivery of the DSA’s Protection of Minors Guidelines and involved in work on the EU’s Kids Act proposal. Martin will take us inside the EU KIDS Act, exploring Europe’s new plan to protect children online and what it means for children, families and online platforms.
Manon Letouche
Head of EU Affairs, 5Rights Foundation
Manon Letouche is the Head of EU Affairs at 5Rights Foundation, a global NGO dedicated to the protection of minors in the digital environment. Before joining 5Rights in 2025, she worked for the Belgian media regulatory authority, where she was Head of the Media Unit and, prior to that, Head of the Investigation Unit. Between 2019 and 2024, she served as Head of Cabinet to the Belgian (FR) Minister for Children, Culture and Media. Manon will speak on how the EU KIDS Act can deliver a safe digital environment for children
Gwenaëlle Mercier
Policy Manager, DOT Europe
Gwenaëlle Mercier is Policy Manager of DOT Europe, the trade association that represents leading internet and platform companies operating in Europe. Gwenaëlle works on content-related issues, such as the Digital Services Act, Child Sexual Abuse and Audiovisual Media Services. A College of Europe and Sciences Po Strasbourg alumna, Gwenaëlle gained experience in European public affairs at the French Permanent Representation to the EU. Gwenaëlle will speak on industry perspectives on how to make the EU KIDS Act work in practice.
Michelle McManus
Director of the Institute for Children’s Futures, Manchester Metropolitan University
Michelle McManus is Professor of Safeguarding and Violence Prevention and Director of the Institute for Children’s Futures at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is an internationally recognised expert in safeguarding, child exploitation and violence prevention, with more than 20 years’ experience across policing, criminal justice and academia. Her research focuses on improving how agencies identify, assess and respond to risks affecting children, young people and adults, including child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE), child criminal exploitation (CCE), county lines, domestic abuse, serious violence, online harms and multi-agency safeguarding. She has led research and evaluation programmes for the Department for Education, Home Office, Welsh Government, police forces, local authorities and third-sector organisations. Michelle will speak on a connected, child-centred approach to prevention.
Webinar Hosts and Panel Facilitators
Francesca Pisanu
Social Policy Officer, Eurochild
Francesca Pisanu holds an LLM in International Children’s Rights and is Senior Policy Officer at Eurochild, where she leads its work on children’s rights in the digital environment and contributes to its broader EU advocacy. Eurochild is the largest network of organisations and individuals working with and for children in Europe. Its work on digital covers the Digital Services Act, EU KIDS Act, Digital Fairness Act, the AI Act and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. It also engages, through the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group, on the proposed Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, and the revision of the Child Sexual Abuse Directive. Eurochild was also part of the European Commission’s special panel on child safety online.
Leonora Borg
Senior Associate & Child & Adolescent Wellbeing Hub Lead, Maestral International
Leonora Borg has more than 25 years of experience providing safeguarding and child protection support across the public, private and third sectors in the UK and internationally. She leads Maestral’s Child & Adolescent Wellbeing Hub and specializes in the development and implementation of child protection strategies, policies, systems and practical guidance. Her technical expertise includes prevention and response to online violence, safeguarding in sport and business, and participatory monitoring and evaluation with children and young people.