EU votes to stop allowing social media platforms detect child sex abuse material

Children’s Rights Alliance’s online safety co-ordinator Noeline Blackwell. Picture: Naoise Culhane

A failure by the European Parliament to extend rules for the detection of child sexual abuse material in private online chats has been criticised by human rights advocates as placing online privacy above child safety.

A vote by the European Parliament not to extend the rules beyond April 3 means tech providers will not be allowed to detect child sexual abuse material in private communications from Friday.