EU Fails to Extend Child Abuse Content Rules

BRUSSELS, March 16 - EU countries and lawmakers failed to extend a temporary rule requiring platforms like Google and Meta to detect and remove child sexual abuse material. The current voluntary system, in place since 2021, ends April 3.

A spokesperson for Cyprus, the rotating EU presidency, said the European Parliament’s push to exclude end-to-end encrypted messages rendered the measure ineffective. This move created a legal vacuum.

The effort stems from stalled negotiations on the European Commission’s 2022 draft CSAM regulation, which faces opposition from both privacy advocates and Big Tech firms resisting mandatory reporting and removal of abusive content.

Big Tech has lobbied against requirements forcing messaging apps, app stores, and internet providers to flag or delete known and emerging abuse content.