Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft have criticised the European parliament after it blocked the extension of a law that allows major technology companies to scan for child sexual exploitation on their platforms.
The decision has created a legal gap that child safety experts warn could allow crimes to go undetected. The concern centres on a temporary measure introduced in 2021, which carved out an exception to the EU Privacy Act and permitted companies to use automated detection tools to scan messages for a range of harms, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming and sextortion.
That measure expired on 3 April, and lawmakers in the European parliament declined to vote for an extension. Some members opposed the move because of privacy concerns, but critics say the failure to renew the law could have serious consequences for child protection efforts online.
Experts have warned that the lapse may sharply reduce the number of abuse reports generated by platforms. They have pointed to a previous legal gap in 2021, during which reports fell by 58%, as evidence of what can happen when scanning powers are unavailable.
The companies named in the criticism — Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft — have all been drawn into the debate over how to balance privacy protections with the need to detect and report sexual abuse material involving children. The issue has now become a wider test of how European rules should handle platform scanning, child safety and user privacy at the same time.
Child safety advocates argue that the absence of the law leaves platforms without an important tool for identifying harmful content and suspicious behaviour. They say the resulting delay in detection could give offenders more room to operate and make it harder for authorities and support organisations to respond quickly.
The parliament’s decision marks a significant setback for those pushing for continued scanning powers under the temporary framework. For now, the legal basis that allowed these companies to use automated detection technologies has lapsed, and the political dispute over whether and how it should be renewed remains unresolved.
