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

Because of political gridlock, from 3 April 2026, online platforms in the European Union will no longer be able to detect child sexual abuse images and videos. Through a joint letter with over 247 signatories, children’s rights organisations across Europe and beyond, warn this failure creates an alarming and irresponsible gap in child protection. The consequences will be devastating.

The scale of child sexual abuse online is staggering, with millions of images and videos circulating at any given moment. The only effective way to stop this is through large-scale detection by online platforms. This detection technology is the first line of defence; it identifies abuse, triggers police investigations, and helps locate children who are being harmed. It also enables companies to remove illegal child sexual abuse material and prevent its further spread.

The numbers are undeniable: over the past years, 99% of the millions of images and videos of child sexual abuse reported were submitted by platforms using detection technology. These reports are what allow thousands of victims to be identified and millions of abusive files to be scrubbed from the internet.

Dangerous blind spot for perpetrators

By failing to ensure these protections continue, EU policymakers are choosing to look away and are knowingly creating harmful online spaces where perpetrators can operate in the dark. Law enforcement will lose the critical leads they need to save children, leaving victims trapped in abusive situations indefinitely. Meanwhile, illegal content will continue to circulate unchecked, forcing victims to relive their trauma every time their abuse is viewed or shared and perpetrators will not be prosecuted. 

Indeed, we have seen the cost and consequences of creating a blind spot for abusers: the last time this framework was interrupted in 2021, reports of child sexual abuse material dropped by 58%. This was not because online abuse stopped, but because it was no longer being seen and detected.

Behind every image is a child

We must remember that behind every image and video is a child enduring sexual abuse. Their fundamental rights, including their right to dignity and to privacy, are repeatedly violated. Protecting these children is not a policy option. It is a binding legal and moral obligation that the EU is currently failing to meet. While the public has consistently demanded stronger online protection, children are the silent casualties of a debate that ignores the reality of ongoing abuse. Children cannot continue to pay the price of political deadlock.

Gráinne Le Fèvre, CEO of Terre des Hommes: “The EU has failed in its most basic duty: the protection of children. This political blockage has created an appalling gap that effectively turns off the lights on child abuse detection. Without these tools, we are blind to the exploitation happening in online spaces. The cost of this political decision is measured in the safety and dignity of our children. Every day without detection means more harm, more victims, and thousands of abusive images and videos spreading freely. We demand that EU leaders act with the urgency this crisis requires and secure a continuous, effective legal framework to stop the spread of abuse.”

Joint call from 247 organisations

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.