Tech companies urge EU to preserve voluntary detection of child abuse content in online platforms
Tech industry groups have rallied behind the Polish presidency's proposal to extend the current framework for voluntary detection of child sexual abuse imagery online while safeguarding encrypted communication.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tech companies and platforms are calling on member states who continue in the EU Council to debate a new proposal aimed at combating online child sexual abuse to preserve the voluntary detection of illegal content.
This would allow the continued use of technologies like CSAI Match and PhotoDNA, which automatically identify abusive images shared on online platforms.
Currently, online companies are permitted to flag illegal images under a temporary exemption from the EU's e-privacy law. However, this exemption is set to expire in April 2026. The tech industry is urging member states to include the exemption's provisions in the final legislation and to extend it in the interim, as negotiations on the matter are expected to take longer to conclude.
"As the extension is only a temporary solution, we strongly support the introduction of a legal basis for voluntary detection as proposed by the Polish Presidency in its latest compromise proposal," they wrote.
Ella Jakubowska, Head of Policy at the digital rights NGO EDRi, believes the extension is inevitable. "With member states still gridlocked, EU lawmakers may have no choice but to extend the current derogation," she told Euronews.
The proposal has been under negotiation since 2022, with several rotating presidencies struggling to build consensus. After failed attempts by the Czech, Spanish, Belgian, and Hungarian presidencies, Poland has taken a new approach to secure a compromise.
The European Commission's original proposal included controversial "detection orders", allowing authorities to demand access to private communications. However, Poland's latest proposal removes this provision, focusing on voluntary detection. Detection orders would only apply as a last resort to platforms deemed "high risk" that fail to act against online child abuse.
Emily Slifer, director of policy at Thorn, a child protection NGO that develops abuse-detection technologies, acknowledged that voluntary detection is not ideal but said it is the most politically feasible option for now. 'When voluntary detection stopped in 2021 due to legal uncertainty, CSAM reports dropped by 58% overnight—removing it from the legislation would cripple child protection efforts," Slifer said.
ECPAT, an international organization fighting child sexual exploitation, has also voiced its support for the current proposal, but emphasised the need for both voluntary and mandatory detection systems to prevent gaps in child protection.
One particularly contentious issue has been the potential scanning of end-to-end encrypted communications. Messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and Messenger use encryption to ensure that only the sender and recipient can access the messages. Both the Commission's proposal and earlier drafts of the Council's text had included provisions for scanning encrypted communications, raising significant privacy concerns.
In a positive development for privacy advocates, the latest proposal excludes the scanning of encrypted messages. Former MEP Patrick Breyer called this a "breakthrough in preserving our right to confidential digital correspondence", referring to the new proposal as the 'Half-good Polish Chat Control proposal.'
ECPAT has urged the Polish presidency and EU member states to swiftly adopt a strong legal framework to address the growing child sexual abuse crisis online. As the number of online abuse cases continues to rise, the organisation stresses that urgent action is needed to protect vulnerable children.
With member states yet to reach a consensus, a revised version of the proposal, incorporating feedback from diplomats, will be presented in hopes of reaching a final compromise. Initially proposed by the European Commission in May 2022, the proposal was quickly adopted by the European Parliament. Once the Council reaches an agreement, the long-awaited interinstitutional negotiations, known as trilogues, can begin.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
3 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Craft and innovation meet in Loewe's 2025 Prize for Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki
Spanish luxury brand Loewe has announced the winner of its annual contemporary art and craft award. For the 2025 edition of its Craft Prize, Loewe—through its foundation established by the founding family—has honored Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki for his work 'Realm of Living Things 19.' . Created in 2024, the award-winning piece earned Aoki a €50,000 prize. The sculpture was crafted using anamorphic terracotta and various innovative force-application techniques. It underwent a smoking process and was finished with decorative earth-based materials and pencil markings. The work was recognized for its artistic merit, technical complexity, and innovation, particularly in its interpretation of traditional coiling methods. Aoki was selected from a pool of 30 finalists by a jury of 12 professionals from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism, criticism, and museum curation. Notable jurors included essayist and architect Frida Escobedo, architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola, architect Wang Shu, and Olivier Gabet, director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre Museum. In addition to the main prize, the jury also honored Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello for his work TM Bench with Bowl, crafted from recycled aluminum and inspired by globalization and power dynamics. Indian studio Sumakshi Singh was also recognized for Monument, a life-size reinterpretation of a 12th-century Delhi colonnade created with copper zari. 'As we celebrate the eighth edition of the prize, I am amazed by the incredible display of ingenuity, beauty, and craftsmanship shown by the finalists. To me, the magic of the prize lies in witnessing the ability of craft to surprise, innovate, and evolve year after year. It is an honor to see how the prize helps keep the craft alive and relevant,' said Sheila Loewe, president of the Loewe Foundation. All finalist works from the latest edition of the international competition—launched by the Loewe Foundation in 2016 in tribute to the house's roots as an artisanal workshop—will be on display from May 30 to June 29 at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. A digital exhibition of the entries will also be available online for public viewing. Founded in 1846 in Madrid, Loewe is a globally renowned luxury house, owned by French conglomerate LVMH, known for its craftsmanship and original creations. In March, Loewe's creative direction was handed over to design duo Jack McCollough and Lázaro Hernández of Proenza Schouler, following the departure of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson. Anderson stepped down to take on the role of menswear design director at Dior, another house within French businessman Bernard Arnault 's luxury portfolio.
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
EU's Kallas warns against Russia and China's growing alliance
The world should be 'extremely worried' about Russia and China's relationship as North Korean troops fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, the European Union's foreign policy said on Saturday. 'When China and Russia speak of leading together, the change is not seen in 100 years and of revisions of the global security order. We should all be extremely worried,' Kallas said during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference in Singapore. European and Asian security remain interconnected, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs stated while speaking on a panel about ensuring global stability. 'Our security is very much interlinked, and what we have to do for not the worst case scenario happening, is that we really need to defend the international law because that says it all,' Kallas explained. 'That is the umbrella that actually protects, especially the smaller states.' Kallas spoke after US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned of increasing military and economic pressure coming from China. In his speech at the conference, he reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific they would not be left alone, while insisting they contribute more to their own defence. Hegseth said Washington would bolster overseas defences to counter what the US views as an increasing threat from China – particularly in its stance towards Taiwan. China does not recognise Taiwan's independence. Chinese President Xi Jinping hasn't ruled out taking it by force. China regularly sends military aircraft and ships near Taiwan and currently has an aircraft carrier southeast of the island. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal,' Hegseth said in his keynote speech. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' He urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase their defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product that European nations which are part of NATO are now pushed to contribute. The head of China's delegation to the conference accused Hegseth of making 'groundless accusations'. Thousands of people took to the streets in Bulgaria on Saturday, calling on the government to preserve the country's currency, the Bulgarian lev, and not enter the euro area. In the capital, Sofia, and various other cities, demonstrations against the introduction of the euro currency began at around noon. The protests were organised by the ultranationalist Revival Party and several NGOs. They believe that if Bulgaria enters the eurozone, prices will rise and the country's economic sovereignty will be limited, and want a referendum to be held on the issue. "Revival Bulgaria has a will of the people and the will of the people now says categorically: we do not want the Bulgarian lev to be destroyed, we want to preserve the Bulgarian currency, we want to preserve the freedom of Bulgaria. And that is why we want such a referendum to be held," said the leader of the Revival party Kostadin Kostadinov. Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev recently submitted a request to parliament to hold a referendum on whether the country adopts the euro as its currency. In 2024, the European Central Bank said the country couldn't join the currency union yet because inflation in the country was too high. The seven non-eurozone members of the EU are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden. They continue to use their national currencies, although all but Denmark - which has won an opt-out clause - are obliged to join once they meet the euro convergence criteria. Bulgaria has set a target to join the euro area as of 2026.
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Kallas warns against Russia and China's relationship
The European Union's top diplomat said on Saturday that the world should be 'extremely worried' about Russia and China's relationship as North Korean troops fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine. 'When China and Russia speak of leading together, the change is not seen in 100 years and of revisions of the global security order. We should all be extremely worried,' Kallas said during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference in Singapore. European and Asian security were 'very much interlinked,' the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs said while speaking on a panel about ensuring global stability. 'Our security is very much interlinked and what we have to do for not the worst case scenario happening, is that we really need to defend the international law because that says it all,' she said, 'That is the umbrella that actually protects, especially the smaller states.' Kallas spoke after US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned of increasing military and economic pressure coming from China. In his speech at the conference, he reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific they would not be left alone; while insisting they contribute more to their own defence. Hegseth said Washington would bolster overseas defences to counter what the US views as an increasing threat from China – particularly in its stance towards Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own. Chinese President Xi Jinping hasn't ruled out taking it by force. China regularly sends military aircraft and ships near Taiwan and currently has an aircraft carrier southeast of the island. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal,' Hegseth said in his keynote speech. 'We are not going to sugar-coat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' He urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. The head of China's delegation to the conference accused Hegseth of making 'groundless accusations.'
