Legal definitions
“Child” and “minor” are synonymous and are defined as a human being under 18 years old. The Lithuanian Law on Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of the Child recognizes sexual violence, encompassing a range of acts including sexual offenses against minors, child prostitution, sexual slavery, and production, distribution, or possession of child pornography. There is no single legal definition of sexually explicit conduct, however “child sexual abuse” and “sexual extortion” are defined. The age of consent in Lithuania is 16 years; any sexual activity with a person under this age is a criminal offense, with harsher penalties for acts involving children under 14.
The Lithuanian Criminal Code criminalizes any pornographic content in which a child is depicted or a person is presented as a child. This provision covers images created through computer-generated, morphed, or artificial intelligence technology. The term “grooming” is not used in Lithuanian law, but such conduct is prohibited.
Regulatory requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to review, screen, moderate, detect, remove, or report online child sexual exploitation content. However, service providers are legally obliged to inform law enforcement of any information giving rise to suspicion of serious offenses, including such crimes. Under the Lithuanian Law on Information Society Services, authorities may issue binding instruction to account holders of internet platforms to remove illegal content they have posted.
Age verification requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to implement any method of age verification before a user can access their services. However, Lithuania’s national legal framework maintains specific conditions applicable to a child’s consent for the processing of personal data in relation to information society services offered directly to children. In Lithuania, consent is valid only where the child is at least 14 years old.
Parental consent requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to obtain parental consent before allowing a child to access their services.
Legal remedies for child victims
The Lithuanian Criminal Code allows individuals whose rights are infringed upon by illegal content to submit a complaint to the online platform, seek pre-litigation resolution, or bring a case to court. A victim may also file a civil claim for compensation based on general civil liability provisions. The Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Assistance to Victims of Criminal Acts ensures that people who have suffered from a criminal act receive assistance (information, consultation, and/or services).
The Criminal Procedure Code provides that recognized victims have the right to receive information about the status of criminal proceedings concerning them.
"Safety by Design" requirements
There is no law in Lithuania that explicitly mandates all online platforms to implement “Safety by Design” features. Elements of Safety by Design appear in certain regulations. Video-sharing platforms are required to implement several measures, to protect minors from harmful video content, including age verification, easy-to-use mechanisms for reporting content, content rating systems, and parental control tools. There is no legal requirement that a platform undergo a safety compliance check or implement such tools before launching to the public. However, online platforms are expected to comply from the moment services are offered in Lithuania. If measures are insufficient, the relevant regulatory authority may issue instructions requiring improvement enforced by administrative penalties.