Tackling online abuse

Better policing should be the focus of EU efforts to disrupt distribution of images of child abuse.

We write regarding the European Commission’s proposals for a directive to block access to websites that show images of child abuse (“Commission seeks to block child porn websites”, 25-31 March).

We fully support the Commission’s fight against this cruel and loathsome crime. However, we are deeply worried that blocking websites may prove counterproductive and outright dangerous.

Blocking access to these websites would not make them go away. They would remain on the internet and anybody capable of circumventing the filters would be able to see them.

In pursuit of this ineffective policy, the proposal requires the creation of an infrastructure of censorship. Experience suggests that such infrastructure can easily be misused and that, once in place, whets politicians’ appetite to extend it into other areas, in pursuit of copyright violations, hate speech, and many more.

Even without misuse, the mechanisms employed and the technical infrastructure of the internet make it quite probable that, in blocking some websites, numerous inoffensive websites located with the same web-hoster might be blocked.

Blocking websites is too easy an answer to a difficult problem. It is not the type of ambitious policy goal that would truly help victims and prevent further crimes.

An ambitious and effective policy must involve the removal of pictures of child abuse from the internet and the investigation of perpetrators. The priority must be to hunt down the culprits through international co-operation on the part of law-enforcement agencies.

This is possible. Sexual abuse of children is one of the few crimes outlawed across the globe. Moreover, most of the websites in question are located in the US and western Europe.

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Taking them down and getting information on who uploaded them is not black magic. It should be standard practice.

Unlawful content should be deleted. Perpetrators should be investigated and jailed.

So, instead of creating an infrastructure of censorship that merely hides images, the EU should make sure that the law-enforcement agencies of its member states finally start co-operating to fight these awful crimes.

 

From:

Aloys Rigaut

President

European Liberal Youth (LYMEC)

Brussels

 

Alexander Plahr

Vice-president

LYMEC

Düsseldorf