Hilde Vautmans· Renew

Nuanced

The number of reports dropped by 58%, not because the abuse stopped, but because it could not be detected

Omissions

• The 58% drop specifically refers to EU-related reports to the NCMEC CyberTipline, not all EU online child abuse reports generally
• The drop was directly linked to the temporary lapse of voluntary detection mechanisms under the ePrivacy Directive framework
• The timeframe specifically relates to the period around December 2020 when the temporary derogation expired and the period before new legislation was adopted in 2021
• The data comes from NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), which is a US-based organization receiving reports from global online platforms

Sources

• SecondaryGlobal Child Exploitation Policy Platform - Briefly: Voluntary Detection by Online PlatformsWhen detection stopped, EU-related CyberTipline reports decreased by 58%
• SecondaryEURACTIV - Blame game erupts as EU fails to extend child abuse detection rulesIn 2021, reports of CSAM dropped by 58% because detection efforts could no longer function effectively
• SecondaryChildX - Children's online protection is under threatBefore the law came into force in 2020, reporting dropped by 58% in 18 weeks
• TertiaryTelefono Azzurro Facebook postIn 2021, when this system briefly stopped, reports dropped by 58%