Brave Movement statement on the historic EU legislation

“The Brave Movement strongly backs the draft legislation to end childhood sexual violence announced today by the European Commission under the leadership of the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.

“In the EU, digital spaces are in some cases completely unregulated – exposing children to the threat of horrific sexual violence and exploitation. Technology companies have the tools to detect and remove online sexual violence materials, and we will continue to put pressure on them to prioritize child safety ahead of anything else. This legislation will for the first time enforce mandatory rules on Big Tech – to detect, report, and remove sexual violence material which endangers children and adolescents and violates their rights.

“The Brave Movement intends to work with the EU’s leadership to mobilize adult survivors of childhood sexual violence and our allies to ensure rapid passage of this historic regulation to ensure the safety of children, adolescents and future generations.”

The Brave Movement and its partners are:

• “Calling for a proportionate, long-term solution and legal framework must be found that allows automated technology to be safely used to detect Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) online.
• “The EU must make detection, reporting and removal of child sexual violence material mandatory for all internet service providers and platforms that provide a service or have users in the EU.
• “The legislation should mandate the use of grooming detection tools and deterrence mechanisms that disrupt pathways to offending against children, as well as classifiers to detect first-generation or ‘new’ material. Without this we miss the opportunity to disrupt harm at an early stage.
• “This draft legislation must include the development and deployment of technical solutions that help to eliminate, mitigate, or reduce threats to children’s safety, well-being, or rights in the digital environment.
• “Establishment of an EU Centre to tackle childhood sexual violence in Europe, that is harmonized to fit into the existing EU and global child safety governance architecture.”