EU moves to restore online child abuse detection rules

The European Council on Thursday adopted its position on legislation to reinstate interim rules allowing online platforms to voluntarily detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material after the previous legal framework expired in April.

According to the council, the proposed regulation would restore a temporary legal basis for online service providers to continue voluntarily detecting child sexual abuse material and online grooming, despite restrictions under EU data protection rules governing electronic communications.

The previous measure expired on April 3, leaving a legal gap in the bloc's efforts to combat child sexual abuse online.

The council said the interim rules are needed to help identify victims, support criminal investigations and prosecutions, and curb the spread of abusive material while negotiations continue on a permanent legislative framework.

The council's position will now be submitted to the European Parliament for a second reading, where lawmakers can approve, amend or reject the proposal.

Source:AA