More than 2,400 organizations warned today of a “deeply alarming and irresponsible gap in child protection” following the end of the European framework that allows the detection of online child sexual abuse, set to expire on 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 enabled these detection activities. This failure creates a deeply alarming and irresponsible gap in child protection. The consequences will be devastating—both in Europe and beyond,” the joint statement reads.
Among the organizations are the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV), members of INHOPE (the International Association of Internet Hotlines), and Victim Support Europe (VSE), a leading European organization advocating for victims of crime regardless of the type of offense or identity of the victim.
The coalition stressed that the suspension of this legal authorization puts millions of children at risk and makes it harder to identify both victims and perpetrators.
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According to the organizations, large-scale detection is essential to combat the millions of images and videos of child sexual abuse circulating online.
These mechanisms allow platforms to remove illegal content, prevent its redistribution, and forward reports to authorities, triggering investigations that protect children and hold abusers accountable.
The coalition recalled that when the legal framework was inactive for just seven months in 2021, reports of online child sexual abuse dropped by 58%—not because abuse decreased, but due to a lack of detection.
“Every image or video represents a child suffering repeated violations of their fundamental rights, including the right to privacy,” the statement emphasized.
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APAV argued that protecting 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 political deadlock,” the organization added, stressing the urgency of adopting a permanent and robust legal framework.
The Internet Safety Hotline, coordinated by APAV, will continue to receive reports from the public, analyze content, and collaborate with 56 European hotlines to make the internet safer.
The coalition highlighted that the absence of detection not only reduces reporting and prevents investigations but also allows abusive content to circulate unchecked, forcing victims to relive trauma repeatedly.
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The statement also warned that the failure to renew 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 behavior, compromising children’s safety.
The coalition—including organizations from Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and many other countries—urged European policymakers to act responsibly by ensuring effective detection of abusive content and making child protection an unequivocal priority.
Last week, on March 26, the European Union decided not to extend the rules on detecting online child sexual abuse, which expire on April 3, after the European Parliament rejected a proposal from the European Commission.
The decision follows a failure by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament to agree on a legal mechanism allowing online service providers to identify and report child sexual abuse material under a temporary regime, pending the approval of a permanent legislative framework.
These temporary rules, in force since 2021 and expiring on April 3, allowed exceptions to the ‘ePrivacy’ directive—which regulates privacy in electronic communications—in specific cases involving the detection of child sexual abuse content.
