BRUSSELS: An EU system to tackle child sexual abuse material online is set to lapse next week after the European Parliament did not back its extension in a vote on Thursday.
European Union countries and lawmakers have been squabbling over how to improve rules – leading to an impasse that will see the current setup expire on April 3.
"Europe hosts the most child sexual abuse material in the world. Every second, two child sexual abuse images or videos are shared online," said EU internal affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner.
"As a parent, lawmaker and European, I find today's vote in the European Parliament hard to understand."
The 27-nation bloc has for years been debating the strengthening of current regulations, under which online platforms and messaging services detect and report abusive images on a voluntary basis.
The commission in 2022 proposed to make that a compulsory and also require the reporting of attempts by predators to contact minors.
Though supported by several child protection groups, the plans nicknamed "Chat Control" sparked fierce debate inside the bloc.
Critics, such as the EU's own data protection authorities, lawmakers, and countries including Germany, warned they could pose a "disproportionate" threat to privacy.
"Children are protected by smart enforcement, not by scanning the private messages of millions of innocent people," said Marketa Gregorova, a European lawmakers with the Greens group.
Talks between lawmakers and member states to find a compromise failed last week and a last ditch effort for parliament to approve a temporary extension of the current system also fell short.
"This is a devastating failure for child protection in the EU – and globally," commented Kerry Smith, of the Internet Watch Foundation. – AFP
