Statement: Over 240 expert organisations call for urgent EU action to protect children online
- Protect Children
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
STATEMENT
On 3 April 2026, online service providers in the EU will no longer be able to detect and remove child sexual abuse content on their platforms.
Today, Protect Children, as part of a coalition of 247 organisations dedicated to advancing children’s rights and ending sexual abuse, strongly condemns the EU's failure to extend the legal basis that allowed these detection activities.
In the joint statement, the coalition calls on EU policymakers to act urgently to restore a clear and permanent legal framework that ensures child sexual abuse material can be detected, reported, and removed.
Protect Children signed the statement as a member of ECLAG (Ending Child Sexual Abuse Group).
"This failure creates a deeply alarming and irresponsible gap in child protection. The consequences will be devastating - in Europe and beyond."
The consequences of this decision are immediate. Without a legal basis for detection, fewer reports will be made to authorities, investigations will be limited, and victims will be harder to identify.
In a similar gap in 2021, reports of child sexual abuse material dropped by 58%. Removing this legal framework also allows material to continue circulating, contributing to the ongoing revictimisation of survivors.
On 20 March 2026, Protect Children published its own statement condemning the decision, drawing on research and evidence from our work to tackle online child sexual abuse. Our findings highlight the ongoing harm caused by the circulation of abuse material, its widespread accessibility, and the risks posed by early exposure.
We call on EU policymakers to act with urgency and responsibility. Every day without detection is another day children are left unprotected.
The EU must act now to close this gap, ensure effective detection, and uphold its duty to protect children.
