EU Law Lapse: CSAM Detection Risk

By Bridgette Jacobs

Major tech companies are condemning the European Parliament for allowing a temporary law to expire, which previously enabled them to scan platforms for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This critical lapse has created a legal paradox where CSAM scanning is now illegal, yet companies remain liable for its presence, raising fears of a significant drop in online detection.

Major tech companies, including Google, Meta, Snap, and Microsoft, have criticized the European Parliament for allowing a temporary law to expire, as reported by The Guardian.
According to The Guardian, this expired law previously permitted these companies to scan their platforms for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The lapse has created a significant legal gap, as scanning for CSAM is now illegal, yet companies remain liable for its presence under other regulations, The Guardian noted.
Experts warn that this situation could lead to a substantial decrease in the detection of child sexual abuse online, as highlighted in The Guardian's report.
The tech companies involved have described the European Parliament's action as an "irresponsible failure," according to The Guardian.