Platform child-protection lapse
Major tech firms including Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft publicly criticised the EU over a lapse in child sexual abuse reporting law, with experts warning a previous lapse in 2021 caused a large drop in abuse reports. That dispute signals renewed pressure on online platforms—and by extension on educational apps—to provide stronger detection and reporting for child-safety issues. (theguardian.com)
Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft just called out the European Union for failing to extend a key law that requires tech platforms to scan and report child sexual abuse material online. The law expired on April 9, 2026, halting automated detection tools that flagged millions of images and videos last year. (theguardian.com) The law, called the Temporary Child Sexual Abuse Regulation or T-CSAR, let companies like Meta use software to scan private messages for known abuse images without breaking end-to-end encryption. It was a one-year trial passed in 2024 after years of debate over privacy versus child safety. (theguardian.com) Without renewal, platforms shut down their scanning on schedule, even though Google reported 1.1 million child abuse incidents to authorities in 2025 alone through similar tools. Meta sent over 27 million referrals that year, mostly from automated scans. (theguardian.com) Tech firms blame EU lawmakers for inaction, saying the lapse leaves kids more vulnerable online where abuse material spreads via apps and direct messages. Microsoft warned it creates a "regulatory vacuum" that lets predators operate freely. (theguardian.com) Experts point to a 2021 gap when a similar EU rule expired, causing a 60% drop in reports from platforms to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Reports fell from 19 million to under 8 million in months, letting abuse go undetected. (theguardian.com) This isn't just social media; apps used in schools like Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams could face the same pressure to add scanning. The EU's larger Chat Control proposal, which stalled over privacy fears, aimed to make all private messages scannable but remains blocked. (theguardian.com) Lawmakers now face a standoff: privacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue scanning erodes encryption like picking every lock in a city to check for stolen goods. Tech firms counter that hash-matching—comparing files to a database of known abuse without seeing content—avoids mass surveillance. (eff.org) The EU parliament votes soon on a permanent version, but delays mean platforms might restart scans voluntarily—at legal risk—or wait for new rules. (theguardian.com)
