More than 100 child rights organisations urge EU leaders to be ambitious and pass robust online safety legislation

An open letter with 109 signatories, released in the lead-up to Safer Internet Day on February 10, urges EU policymakers to be brave in shaping the legislative framework to protect children from child sexual abuse and ensure a robust CSAR is swiftly adopted.

The letter, spearheaded by the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG)* and signed by leading experts in child protection and child rights, says the EU has a critical opportunity to be a world leader in protecting children online, but continued inaction and lack of ambition means gaps in EU legislation continue to be exploited by perpetrators. 

A critical opportunity for Europe

The European Union is currently at a crossroads as negotiators shape the final Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR). The signatory group warns that the decisions made in the coming weeks will determine whether children are effectively protected or left to face evolving threats alone. For more than three years, EU leaders have debated the CSAR and in that time, the Child Sexual Abuse Crisis has escalated dramatically.

According to recently released data from the Internet Watch Foundation, 2025 was the worst year on record for online child sexual abuse material found by its analysts, with increasing levels of photo-realistic AI material contributing to the high levels. Last year, 3,440 AI videos of child sexual abuse were found, compared to only 13 in 2024, a more than 260-fold increase.

The letter points to research showing that more than three in five parents in Europe think that politicians and technology companies are not taking children’s online safety seriously enough, and that four in five EU citizens support measures requiring online service providers to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse online. 

Take action

The letter is calling on the public and civil society to share the open letter and demand that elected representatives, to act with ambition, put children first, and ensure a robust CSAR is promptly adopted. 

Editorial note:

*The ECLAG coalition is formed of more than 70 child rights organisations working across the EU to raise awareness of the pressing need to protect children online in our ever-developing digital world. The Steering Group of the coalition comprises ECPAT International, Eurochild, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), Missing Children Europe, Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Thorn.