jugendschutz.net

jugendschutz.net is a German non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) based in Mainz that serves as the joint competence center for youth media protection in Germany. It was founded in 1997 by the youth ministries of the federal states as a central office, and since the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag, JMStV) came into force on 1 April 2003, it has been organizationally linked to the Commission for Youth Media Protection (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz, KJM), supporting both the KJM and the supreme state youth authorities in their work. The organization operates on the legal basis of § 18 JMStV and is funded by the supreme state youth authorities, the state media authorities, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), and the European Union. Its core mission is to examine the internet for dangers to children and young people. It focuses on topics such as self-endangerment, political extremism, sexualized violence, harassment, and cyberbullying. It also scrutinizes offers that contain cost traps, present unsuitable advertising, or violate the personal rights of minors. When reports are submitted via its online reporting form, jugendschutz.net reviews and assesses the content from a legal perspective. It also examines preventive measures taken by services such as online games, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to protect against risks and harms—for example, settings that prevent unwanted contact by strangers—and tests their reporting systems to ensure they are easy to find, simple to use, and lead to swift removal of violations. If jugendschutz.net finds a violation of the JMStV, it contacts the provider or a voluntary self-regulation body (such as USK or FSK) and demands that the violation be remedied. If this does not happen, the case is usually referred to the KJM. In cases of danger to life and limb or depictions of sexualized violence against children, it immediately alerts police authorities such as the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt). If there are no legal options in Germany, it forwards offers to foreign partner organizations. It informs the Federal Center for Child and Youth Media Protection (BzKJ) about its assessments of service providers' preventive measures. In 2025, jugendschutz.net had around 50 active employees corresponding to 41.8 full-time equivalents, and its total funding amounted to just under 4.32 million euros. Of this, the state media authorities and supreme state youth authorities each provided 470,000 euros (940,000 euros total) for fulfilling the mandate under the JMStV; the BMFSFJ contributed nearly 3.25 million euros through the federal child and youth plan in connection with its legal mandate under the Youth Protection Act (JuSchG); and the European Commission contributed about 125,000 euros through the Safer Internet Programme for the complaint office. The organization is led by managing director Stefan Glaser, who also heads jugendschutz.net, and managing director Dr. Jörg Ukrow. jugendschutz.net is partly controversial. Critics, including censorship opponents such as the AK Zensur, argue that the organization assumes "quasi-sovereign tasks of the state" and has an interest in portraying the internet as dangerous for children and young people in order to acquire projects.

jugendschutz.net was founded in 1997 by the youth ministries of the German federal states as a joint central office for youth protection on the internet. Initially, its mandate covered only media services (offers directed at the general public). With the entry into force of the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag, JMStV) on 1 April 2003, its scope was expanded to include interactive and communicative services such as chats and file-sharing, and it was organizationally linked to the Commission for Youth Media Protection (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz, KJM). The supporting company (Trägergesellschaft) was founded in 2003. Since then, jugendschutz.net has operated as the joint competence center of the federal government, the federal states, and the state media authorities for the protection of children and young people on the internet. It acts on the legal basis of § 18 JMStV, examining online services for violations of youth protection law, researching dangers and risks in youth-affine services, and urging providers and operators to design their services so that children and young people can use them without concern. It receives reports of violations via its hotline form and ensures they are quickly removed. Over the years, its work has expanded to cover emerging issues such as AI chatbots, deepfakes, sextortion, and cyberbullying, and it publishes annual reports and dossiers to inform the public and policymakers. In 2025, the organization had around 50 employees (41.8 full-time equivalents) and a total funding of just under 4.32 million euros, with contributions from state media authorities, supreme state youth authorities, the BMFSFJ, and the European Commission. It is led by managing directors Stefan Glaser and Dr. Jörg Ukrow.

• 2025

  Annual report 2025 published; organization has around 50 employees (41.8 FTE) and total funding of just under 4.32 million euros.

• 2003

  Supporting company (Trägergesellschaft) founded; JMStV enters into force on 1 April, expanding jugendschutz.net's mandate to interactive and communicative services and linking it to the KJM.

• 1997

  Founded by the youth ministries of the German federal states as a joint central office for youth protection on the internet.

Statutory, non-profit competence center for youth media protection in Germany, operating under public mandate and funded by federal and state bodies as well as the EU.

1. 1Startseite | jugendschutz.netjugendschutz.net
2. 2Über uns | jugendschutz.netjugendschutz.net
3. 3Was wir tun | jugendschutz.netjugendschutz.net
4. 4Transparenz | jugendschutz.netjugendschutz.net
5. 5jugendschutz.net - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Jugendschutz.net - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org