Online child protection and toy safety: these are two of the youth-related issues on the agenda of the European Parliament’s plenary session that will take place in Strasbourg next week (24-27 November). Among a wide range of political and economic topics, including the 2026 budget and deforestation rules, MEPs will debate on Tuesday and vote on Wednesday on a resolution calling for faster enforcement of the EU digital services and AI acts, while also closing legal gaps to ensure that online services are safe for minors. Highlighting the risks to mental health and the growing addiction of children and adolescents to social media, MEPs are expected to ban “the most harmful engagement mechanisms for minors” and call on the EU to take action against “persuasive technologies and practices like targeted ads, influencer marketing, addictive design, and loot boxes”, the European Parliament stated. In the text, MEPs also propose introducing an EU-wide minimum age of 16 for access to social media platforms, and an age-verification system that also protects privacy. Also on Tuesday, MEPs will give their green light to new rules aimed at reducing the number of dangerous toys sold in the EU, thereby protecting children from related health risks.