This is no April Fool’s joke: Europe is switching its detection of child sexual abuse online off

BRUSSELS - Because of political gridlock, from 3 April 2026, online service providers in the European Union will no longer be able to detect child sexual abuse material on their platforms. 

A letter signed by 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 legal framework that enabled these detection activities. 

This failure creates an alarming and irresponsible gap in child protection. The consequences will be devastating. 

To address the millions of images and videos of child sexual abuse circulating online, detection at scale is essential. It allows online platforms to identify and report abuse to law enforcement, triggering investigations that help locate 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 are expected to drop dramatically. During the 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. 

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. Policymakers must now act on that mandate. 

Children must not continue to pay the price of political deadlock. 

The letter, spearheaded by the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG)* and signed by leading experts in child protection and 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.  

The European Union must act now to close this gap and uphold its duty to protect children.