On 3 April 2026, online service providers in the European Union will no longer be able to detect child sexual abuse content on their platforms.
A letter signed by ECPAT International and 246 organisations working to advance children’s rights and end sexual abuse, across all EU Member States and beyond, strongly condemn EU policymakers’ failure to extend the current temporary legal framework that enabled these detection activities.
This failure creates an alarming and unacceptable gap in child protection. The consequences will be devastating, in Europe and beyond.
To address the millions of images and videos of child sexual abuse circulating online, detection at scale is essential. It allows online platforms to spot and report abuse to law enforcement, triggering investigations that identify victims and hold perpetrators accountable. It also enables companies to remove illegal material and prevent its further spread: over the past years, 99% of the millions of images and videos reported were submitted by platforms using detection technology. Through these efforts, thousands of victims are identified each year and millions of abusive files are taken out of circulation.
Without detection, reports of child sexual abuse material will drop dramatically. During a previous lapse in the legal framework in 2021, reports of child sexual abuse material dropped by 58%. Law enforcement authorities will lose critical leads, hindering investigations and leaving children trapped in abusive situations. At the same time, illegal content will continue to circulate unchecked, forcing victims to relive their abuse each time material is viewed or shared.
Behind every image and video is a child subjected to repeated violations of their fundamental rights, including their right to dignity and to privacy. Every day without detection means more harm, more victims, and thousands of abusive images and videos spreading freely.
Protecting children is not optional. It is a legal and moral obligation under EU and international law. Public support for detection measures has remained consistently strong across the European Union over the past 5 years. A joint poll by ECPAT and NSPCC, surveying over 25,000 European citizens, found that more than 4 over 5 support measures requiring online service providers to detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse online – confirming earlier ECPAT findings and Eurobarometer data. A recent survey by the Internet Watch Foundation further reinforces this strong public backing for platforms’ detection of abusive content.
Children themselves are urging platforms and government to take more responsibility to guarantee their privacy, protection and safety online.
Policymakers must act on this mandate. The European Union must act now to close this gap and uphold its duty to protect children. Children must not continue to pay the price of political deadlock.
Isaline Wittorski, Project Lead for ECPAT International said: “Children we surveyed said they feel left alone to ensure their safety online – and rightly so. We are shocked that EU politicians are failing them. For over a decade, the detection of child sexual abuse content has been a cornerstone of keeping children safe online. Stepping back from it is deeply irresponsible. Children will now pay the price of this deadlock, especially victims whose abuse will continue to circulate unchecked. EU leaders must act swiftly to minimise this appalling detection gap.”
The letter, spearheaded by the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG) and signed by leading experts in child rights calls on EU policymakers to act urgently to adopt a robust and permanent legal framework that ensures the continued detection of child sexual abuse online.