The EU Commission wants to take action once morest the sexual abuse of children on the Internet. “In the coming months I will propose legislation that obliges companies to recognize, report and remove the sexual abuse of children,” said the EU interior commissioner Ylva Johansson of “Welt am Sonntag”. “A voluntary report will then no longer be sufficient.”
The obligation will primarily affect the large Internet companies. According to Johansson, five companies are responsible for 99 percent of the reports. Meta (Facebook) alone accounted for 95 percent. The EU Commissioner also spoke out in favor of a coordinated fight once morest abuse of minors. “I see a great need for a dedicated EU center to prevent and combat child sexual abuse,” she said.
The EU Commissioner justified her request with an increase in the number of cases. During the pandemic, the demand for material depicting child sexual abuse increased, in some EU member states by up to 25 percent. There are also indications that the abuse is becoming more and more extreme, she added.
