EU Lawmakers Approve Interim Rules for Big Tech on Child Abuse Content
By Foo Yun Chee
EU Lawmakers Back Temporary Measures on Online Child Abuse Content
BRUSSELS, July 9 (Reuters) - EU lawmakers backed a proposal on Thursday to reinstate temporary rules to allow Google, Meta Platforms and other online platforms to detect and remove online child sexual abuse materials.
Exemptions for Encrypted Communications
However, they also voted to exempt end-to-end encrypted communications such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, underscoring concerns about mass scanning that could lead to privacy breaches.
Debate: Online Safety vs. Privacy
The issue pits advocates of online safety measures against privacy activists worried about surveillance.
Stalemate Over Permanent Rules
Lawmakers and countries on both sides of the divide failed to agree on permanent rules last month following a dispute on the scope of detection.
Background and Temporary Rules
The temporary rules, in place from 2021 to April this year, exempted online platforms from strict online privacy rules and had aimed to give EU countries and lawmakers time to agree on a permanent solution to tackle online child pornography.
Concerns from Lawmakers
Lawmaker Marketa Gregorova from the Pirate Party voiced her concerns about reinstating the interim rules.
Encryption Protections
"Protecting encryption was one of our priorities, and I am therefore glad that we managed to secure an absolute majority for an amendment that at least preserves encryption," she said.
Mass Scanning Provisions
"At the same time, however, voluntary mass scanning unfortunately passed."
Next Steps and Industry Response
EU countries have three months to decide whether to back the European Parliament's changes to their proposal.
Slow Progress on Permanent Legislation
The European Commission had proposed a draft rule on child sexual abuse material in 2022, but progress to agree the law has been slow as both sides have criticised it.
Big Tech Lobbying Efforts
Big Tech has lobbied against any requirement for messaging services, app stores and internet access providers to report and remove known and new images and videos, as well as cases of grooming.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Barbara Lewis)
