MEPs have welcomed moves to fill a “vacuum” that they say left children “unprotected.”
Since previous rules expired, EU tech platforms have been legally barred from voluntarily flagging child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
But centre right MEPs say this created an “unprecedented online blind spot “with as many as 55,000 reports of child abuse missed every single day.
Historically, up to 99% of reports of child abuse material have originated from voluntary searches by the platforms, and 4 out of 5 criminal investigations were triggered by those reports.
But a swift EU Council agreement now clears the final hurdle for the immediate entry into force of the Interim Regulation, say MEPs.
The EPP Group says it has successfully delivered on its promise to “close the dangerous legal vacuum that has left children unprotected online.”
A statement added a note of caution, though.
It said, “The Council’s endorsement of the European Parliament’s position clears the final hurdle for the immediate entry into force of the Interim Regulation.”
But the EPP Group stresses that the “temporary fix is still far from the comprehensive solution needed.”
Comment came from Javier Zarzalejos,EPP Group spokesman on the issue.
The MEP said, “The EPP Group has been clear from the very beginning: this dangerous legal vacuum should have been avoided.
“While others played political games and delayed the process with amendments, our priority remained absolute: to get these vital detection tools back online.
“Thanks to this swift agreement from the Council, we have delivered the responsible safety solution European citizens demanded,” said Zarzalejos.
“The EPP Group remains the driving force for security in Europe, and our determination has not wavered,” Zarzalejos added.
“This interim solution is a vital emergency measure to restore basic safety online, but it is only a temporary fix.
“Our focus now turns entirely to the permanent regulation. We will settle for nothing less than a robust, comprehensive, and long-term framework that leaves no blind spots for predators to exploit.”
