Protect children, not predators

The EPP Group is calling on the other political groups in the European Parliament to vote to extend EU rules that allow online platforms to detect child sexual abuse material online. Without an extension before the 3 April deadline, platforms could lose the right to do so, creating a dangerous legal gap in the protection of children.

“Online protection of children raises new challenges: governments, industry, legislators and law enforcement, along with civil society organisations, must act together. The digital sphere must be a safe haven for children, not for predators,” said Javier Zarzalejos MEP, the EPP Group’s negotiator on the file, ahead of today’s vote.

“Protecting children online must not become a victim of political manoeuvring. If the interim regulation is not extended, platforms will lose the legal basis to detect and report child sexual abuse material. The fight against child abuse must continue without interruption,” said Lena Düpont MEP, EPP Group spokeswoman on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

“An extension is essential. Providers must continue detecting child sexual abuse material until permanent laws are in place. With the deadline only weeks away, we cannot risk a legal vacuum that predators could exploit while victims remain unprotected. Protecting children must remain our top priority,” Zarzalejos added.

The current rules allow platforms to detect known and new illegal and abusive content and detect attempts to groom children online. These tools help authorities rescue children, prevent further abuse, and prosecute perpetrators.

At the same time, existing safeguards must remain in place, including the protection of end-to-end encryption and the ban on general monitoring of users’ communications. 

The European Parliament will vote on the extension later today and hold a debate on “Child sexual abuse online: Protect children, not perpetrators.”