Belgium Proposes Temporary Social Media Bans for Cyberbullies

Belgian Minister of Digitalization Vanessa Matz has proposed a new measure that would allow judges to temporarily ban convicted cyberbullies from social media platforms, drawing a direct comparison to the revocation of a driver’s license for serious traffic offenses. The proposal, announced Wednesday, would add a “digital exclusion” penalty to Belgium’s criminal justice arsenal for offenses committed online.

A New Legal Tool for Online Offenses

Matz, a member of the Les Engagés party, announced the initiative in an official statement, framing it as a natural extension of existing criminal penalties. “When a motorist commits a serious offense, for example by driving under the influence of alcohol or speeding, the judge can link his sentence to a temporary revocation of the driver’s license,” she said, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws. “In the same way, someone who uses social media to commit a serious crime could be temporarily banned from those platforms.”

The ban would apply to individuals convicted of a range of online offenses, including cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, hate speech, violent content, and terrorist propaganda. According to La Dernière Heure, the ban could range from six months to one year, with longer penalties for repeat offenders.

“Cyberbullies must be able to be banned from social networks,” Matz said. “The goal is to end the feeling of impunity online and prevent recidivism.”

French Precedent Inspires Belgian Proposal

The proposal draws direct inspiration from France, where on August 5, two streamers were convicted in connection with the death of Jean Pormanove, a 46-year-old who died during a live stream on the Kick platform in August 2025. Streamers Owen Cenazandotti (alias “Naruto”) and Safine Hamadi (alias “Safine”) were sentenced to suspended prison terms and fines, along with six-month bans from social media platforms under France’s SREN law, promulgated in 2024, as reported by France 3 Régions. The case marked the first application of the digital banishment penalty in France.

Implementation and Consultation

Matz has requested advice from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) on the concrete implementation of the measure, particularly regarding identification and control mechanisms while respecting fundamental rights and privacy. The minister hopes to submit the draft law for parliamentary debate in September.

“Digital exclusion can be an important step forward in our legal arsenal,” Matz said, as reported by Brussels Today. “It complements ending malicious anonymity and fits the challenges of our digital society. But above all, it must contribute to a safer internet for everyone.”

The proposal builds on Matz’s broader campaign against “malicious anonymity” online, which includes identity authentication systems such as Itsme and MyGov, and efforts to allow justice authorities to lift the veil of pseudonymity in cases of criminal offenses. The minister’s work on this issue has not been without personal cost — she was placed under reinforced police protection in April 2025 after receiving threats related to her anonymity-ending proposals, as documented by La Libre.

Expert Concerns and Parliamentary Scrutiny

The proposal is likely to face significant scrutiny in the Belgian parliament. In February, experts appearing before the parliamentary Justice Committee heavily criticized related measures proposed by Les Engagés, including mandatory age checks on social media and a resolution to link every pseudonym to a real identity. As reported by Het Laatste Nieuws, experts called the measures “ineffective” and “disproportionate,” noting that no scientific study has shown a correlation between anonymity and hateful behavior.

Bart Preneel, a professor at KU Leuven, warned that such measures risk creating “a culture like in China or Iran,” while Alexandra Jaspar, director of the Belgian Data Protection Authority, advocated using existing tools like the EU’s Digital Services Act rather than creating new systems. Similar concerns were echoed in P-Magazine’s coverage of the February hearing.

What’s Next

The proposal places Belgium within a broader international trend of governments seeking to regulate online behavior, following similar moves in Australia, Spain, and France. As the draft law moves toward parliamentary debate in September, key questions remain: How will the ban be enforced across different platforms? What safeguards will protect fundamental rights? And how will the measure interact with EU-level regulations?

For Matz, the objective is clear. “The goal is to end the feeling of impunity online and prevent recidivism,” she said. Whether the Belgian parliament will share that conviction remains to be seen.