New EU law allows screening of online messages to detect child abuse

The new regulation derogates certain provision of the ePrivacy directive of 2002, enabling private providers to scan electronic communications to identify child sexual abuse. [Shutterstock]

The European Parliament adopted on Tuesday (6 July) the final version of the ePrivacy derogation, a temporary measure enabling providers of electronic communication services to scan and report private online messages containing material depicting child sex abuse. The provisions also allow companies to apply approved technologies to detect grooming techniques.

“This interim regulation ends uncertainty for companies. It does not end danger to children. This is only a temporary solution to fix an acute emergency. We need a permanent answer to counter a persistent threat against children,” said Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs, presenting the legislation in the European Parliament on Monday (5 July).

According to the European Commission, almost 4 million images and videos containing child abuse were reported last year. In the same time period, 1,500 reports were filed for grooming, a technique used by sexual predators to befriend minors. According to Europol, the situation has further worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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