The proposal enables authorities to require major communication service providers such as WhatsApp, iMessage (Apple), Gmail and Zoom to check all messages for child sexual abuse material or attempted grooming. Prof Zuiderveen Borgesius and Prof Hoepman will convey their concerns about the proposal.
'Child abuse is a heinous crime, and it is hugely important that action is taken against it. But the proposed EU regulation raises serious questions. The proposal disproportionately restricts the right to confidential communications and other fundamental rights. The communications of hundreds of millions of innocent Europeans would be monitored for the authorities. Furthermore, detecting unknown child pornography material and grooming leads to too many 'false positives', and thus unjustified accusations. Authorities will not be able to assess all those false positives. Therefore, the proposed regulation will not be effective. This is another reason why the proposal is disproportionate.', Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius and Jaap-Henk Hoepman explain.
Livestream
The roundtable discussion will take place on October 11th, 2023, from 6:30 PM to 8:05 PM and can be followed live on the website of the Dutch House of Representatives. It is also possible to watch the livestream at a later time.