Belgium

EU ministers sign 'Jutland-verklaring' for online age verification; Belgium supports goals: European ministers signed the 'Jutland-verklaring' advocating for online age verification to protect children. Belgium did not sign the declaration but stated its support for its goals.

Legal age for online betting in Belgium to be raised to 21: The legal age for online betting in Belgium will be raised from 18 to 21, aligning with existing age restrictions for land-based casinos and slot machines, to further protect against gambling harms.

EU guidelines give online services up to 12 months for strict age verification: EU guidelines on minor protection under the Digital Services Act grant online platforms in the high-risk category a grace period of up to 12 months to implement strict age verification, allowing age-estimation mechanisms as an interim solution.

French Conseil d'État maintains order requiring age verification for pornographic websites: The French Conseil d'État rejected an application to suspend the obligation to verify user age on certain pornographic content distribution services, emphasizing the public interest in protecting minors. This reflects a broader EU trend.

European Digital Services Board launches coordinated action against smaller pornographic platforms: The European Digital Services Board initiated a coordinated action to protect minors from pornographic content on smaller platforms, with Belgian DSC (IBPT) and national regulators (CSA, VRM, Medienrat) participating to identify platforms and evaluate age verification mechanisms.

European Commission opens formal investigations against major pornographic platforms for DSA violations: The European Commission opened formal procedures against Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX, and Stripchat for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act, specifically citing the absence of effective age verification measures and protection for minors.

European Commission launches public consultation on draft guidelines for online minor protection under DSA: The Commission initiated a public consultation on its draft guidelines for online minor protection, aiming to help platforms ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for children online, including age verification and estimation mechanisms.

Belgium designates four competent authorities for DSA enforcement: Belgium designated the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (IBPT) as the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), along with the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (VRM), and the Medienrat, to enforce the Digital Services Act.

Belgium's new gambling law enhances cybersecurity through stringent age verification: Belgium's new gambling law raises the legal age for all forms of gambling from 18 to 21, effective September 1, 2024. It mandates online gambling platforms to implement state-of-the-art age verification processes, including biometric technologies, AI, and Machine Learning.

Digital Services Act (DSA) fully enters into force for all digital platforms: The Digital Services Act (DSA) became fully applicable to all digital platforms operating within the EU, regardless of their size.

Belgian regulator criticizes X for circulating pornographic content: The Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), a Belgian regulator, criticized Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for failing to protect children from accessing explicit content online and for insufficient age verification measures, citing violations of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Digital Services Act.

EU adds Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos to VLOP list under DSA: The European Union designated Pornhub, Stripchat, and XVideos as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act, subjecting them to stricter regulations and increased control, with a priority on bolstering children's online safety.

DSA becomes applicable to Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs): The Digital Services Act (DSA) began applying to Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) with over 45 million users in the EU.

Digital Services Act (DSA) approved by European Parliament: The Digital Services Act (DSA) was approved, aiming to create a safer digital environment by regulating online platforms and digital services across the EU.

Belgian Federal Parliament approves new 'sex law': The Belgian Federal Parliament approved a modernization of sexual criminal law, focusing on the concept of consent, defining voyeurism, and increasing penalties for sexual violence. It maintains the age of sexual consent at 16, with exceptions for 14-16 year olds with mutual consent and an age difference of no more than three years.

French Community decree transposing revised AVMSD adopted: An example of a Belgian regional decree transposing the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/1808) into national law, imposing obligations for minor protection on audiovisual media services.

Belgium sets GDPR age of parental consent for data processing to 13 years: The Belgian legislator chose to lower the age for parental consent under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to 13 years, aligning with the digital practices of many young people.