Europeans want the EU to take stronger action to protect children online, tackle disinformation, reinforce democratic participation, boost defence capabilities and speed up the clean energy transition, according to a new Flash Eurobarometer survey.
Cyberbullying and harassment were the most cited risks children face on social media, named by 71% of respondents, followed by online grooming and sexual exploitation (70%), and exposure to harmful content such as violence, self-harm or extremism (69%), the survey found, as cited by the Commission on Monday.
Misuse of children’s personal data was also mentioned by 69% of those questioned, while 64% pointed to the risk of children being recruited for illegal activities and 60% cited addictive platform design.
Nearly two in three respondents (63%) supported EU rules restricting children’s access to social media by age — including 36% who favoured an outright ban below a certain age and 27% who backed delayed access, the findings showed.
Smaller shares preferred reinforcing law enforcement resources (15%) or leaving oversight to parents and schools without further EU intervention (13%).
Two thirds of Europeans (66%) said they use social media every day to get information on current affairs or politics.
When asked about priorities for tackling false or misleading information, respondents most often chose tougher sanctions for illegal online content (44%) and stronger rules for platforms (40%).
Defence, democracy and the energy transition
Freedom of speech and expression (34%), free and fair elections (32%), and respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights (31%) were identified as the most important elements of a democratic society, according to the survey.
Beyond voting, 46% said more direct participation was an effective way to influence EU decision-making, while 42% pointed to involvement in political movements, parties or unions.
On defence, 68% agreed the EU should strengthen its capacity to defend itself autonomously against potential external threats.
A further 56% said they trust the EU to strengthen security and defence and better protect its citizens — up four percentage points from January 2026.
More than half of respondents (56%) said developing more renewable energy capacity could help the EU transition away from fossil fuels, while two in five pointed to energy efficiency measures and 32% mentioned nuclear energy.
Asked about actions taken after energy price increases, 31% said they had reduced their overall electricity consumption, while 27% reported monitoring energy use more closely and 26% said they had reduced heating or cooling use.
The Flash Eurobarometer 584 survey was conducted online from 19 to 24 June 2026 among 25,904 people across all 27 EU member states.
