The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has co-signed a joint letter with five other European leaders—the President of France and the Prime Ministers of Greece, Spain, Slovenia, and Denmark—addressed to the President of the European Commission.

In the letter, the leaders express their shared commitment to establishing a common European “digital age of consent” for access to social media platforms.

In a written statement, President Christodoulides described the initiative as an effort to set unified European principles regarding the minimum age for minors’ access to online platforms, with the aim of better protecting children in the digital environment.

“We must act decisively—both at national and European level—to protect our children from the challenges of the digital world, from cyberbullying and harmful content to addictive algorithms and the misuse of technology,” President Christodoulides emphasized.

He stressed that safeguarding the mental health and well-being of children is not an option but a duty, and that Europe bears a responsibility to future generations to ensure a safe, reliable, and human-centered digital environment.

According to the President, this initiative is directly linked to the European Commission’s guidelines on child protection, as well as the pilot phase of the EU’s “age verification” tool, in which Cyprus is participating alongside other member states.

He described this as a significant step toward creating a safe, transparent, and user-friendly system of digital identification that safeguards both privacy and child safety.

President Christodoulides noted that Cyprus is actively contributing to this collective European effort, strengthening Europe’s voice in support of child protection and ethical accountability in the digital sphere.

“As the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, the Republic of Cyprus will prioritize children’s safe digital transition as a horizontal policy goal,” he said.

The Cypriot Presidency, he added, will promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence and regulation of minors’ access to social media through secure, interoperable age verification solutions.

Cyprus, President Christodoulides emphasized, aims to contribute meaningfully to building a Europe that puts people—and especially children—at its core, combining innovation with safety, and technological progress with social responsibility.

“Because nothing is more important than the well-being, safety, and mental health of our children,” he concluded.