Coalition points out that the interruption of this legal authorization puts millions of children at risk and makes it difficult to identify victims and abusers
More than 2,400 organizations today warn of “the deeply alarming and irresponsible gap in the protection of children” with the end of the European regime that allows the detection of sexual abuse of minors online, starting April 3.
“We, a coalition of more than 2,464 organizations working to promote children’s rights and combat sexual violence, strongly condemn the failure of European policymakers to extend the legal basis that allowed these detection activities. This failure creates a deeply alarming and irresponsible gap in the protection of children. The consequences will be devastating — in Europe and beyond,” reads the joint statement, released today.
Among the more than 2,400 entities is the Portuguese Victim Support Association (APAV), members of INHOPE (Association of Internet Helpline Service Providers) or Victim Support Europe (VSE), the main European organization defending the interests of all crime victims, regardless of the type of crime or the identity of the victim.
In a joint statement, this coalition points out that the interruption of this legal authorization puts millions of children at risk and makes it difficult to identify victims and abusers.
According to the organizations, large-scale detection is essential to combat the millions of images and videos of sexual abuse that circulate online.
These mechanisms allow platforms to remove illegal content, prevent redistribution and forward reports to authorities, triggering investigations that protect children and hold abusers accountable.
The coalition recalls that, when the legal framework was inactive, in 2021, for just seven months, reports of sexual abuse of children online fell by 58%, not due to a reduction in abuse, but due to a lack of detection.
“Each image or video represents a child suffering repeated violations of their fundamental rights, including the right to privacy”, highlights the statement.
APAV argues that the protection of children is not optional, but a duty enshrined in European and international legal frameworks.
“The mandate of European citizens must be respected; children cannot continue to pay the price of the political impasse”, adds the organization, reinforcing the urgency of adopting a permanent and ambitious legal framework.
The Safe Internet Line, coordinated by APAV, will continue to receive complaints from the public, analyze content and collaborate with the 56 European hotlines, with the aim of making the internet a safer space.
The coalition highlights that the lack of detection not only reduces reports and impedes investigations, but also allows the uncontrollable circulation of abusive content, forcing victims to repeatedly relive trauma.
The statement also highlights that the non-renewal of the ‘ePrivacy’ derogation on April 3 threatens the entire online child protection infrastructure.
Without this legal basis, platforms cannot proactively detect child sexual abuse material or grooming behaviors, compromising children’s safety.
The coalition of subscribing organizations — including institutions from Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and dozens of other countries — calls on European policymakers to act responsibly, ensuring the effective detection of abusive content and fulfilling the duty to protect children, making child protection an unequivocal priority.
Last week, on March 26, the European Union decided that the rules for detecting online child sexual abuse, which expire on April 3, would not be extended, after the European Parliament rejected a proposal from the European Commission.
The decision comes after the EU Council and the European Parliament failed to agree on the European Union legal mechanism that authorized online service providers to identify and report child sexual abuse material, under a temporary regime, pending approval of a permanent legislative framework.
These provisional rules, in force since 2021 and expiring on April 3, allowed that, in specific cases of detection of content containing sexual abuse against children, the so-called ‘ePrivacy’ directive, which regulates privacy in electronic communications, would not temporarily apply.
