Facebook under pressure to resume scanning messages for ...

“We're committed to complying with the European commission's e-privacy directive (ePD) in the EU,” a spokesperson said. “We continue to be ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsFacebookTwitterSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteWorldEuropeUSAmericasAsiaAustraliaMiddleEastAfricaInequalityGlobaldevelopmentFacebookThisarticleismorethan1yearoldFacebookunderpressuretoresumescanningmessagesforchildabuseinEUThisarticleismorethan1yearoldHalfofreferralsforchildsexualabusematerialcouldbefallingundertheradarafterchangestoEUe-privacydirectiveDatashowsa46%fallinreferralsforchildsexualabusematerialcomingfromtheEUsinceFacebookturnedoffscanning.Photograph:GraemeRobertson/TheGuardianDatashowsa46%fallinreferralsforchildsexualabusematerialcomingfromtheEUsinceFacebookturnedoffscanning.Photograph:GraemeRobertson/TheGuardianAlexHernUKtechnologyeditor@alexhernWed20Jan202115.57GMTLastmodifiedonThu21Jan202109.21GMTThechildren’scharityNSPCChascalledonFacebooktoresumeaprogrammethatscannedprivatemessagesforindicationsofchildabuse,withnewdatasuggestingthatalmosthalfofreferralsforchildsexualabusematerialarenowfallingbelowtheradar.RecentchangestotheEuropeancommission’se-privacydirective,whicharebeingfinalised,requiremessagingservicestofollowstrictnewrestrictionsontheprivacyofmessagedata.Facebookblamedthatdirectiveforshuttingdownthechildprotectionoperation,butthechildren’scharitysaysFacebookhasgonetoofarinreadingthelawasbanningitentirely.“It’sstrikingthatFacebookhasinterpretedthefailuretoreachagreementbeforeChristmasasrequiringthemtostopscanning,whenwhatthatseemstobeisabreakingofranksfromtherestoftheindustry,”saysAndyBurrows,thecharity’sheadofchildsafetyonlinepolicy.Therestoftheindustry,includingGoogleandMicrosoft,hascometoadifferentconclusionaboutthecontinuedlegalityofsuchscanning,Burrowsadded.“What’simportanthereisthatwedon’tlosesightofwhatthismeans,”hesaid,addingthat250,000reportscomefromtheEUeachmonth.“TherehastobeaclearriskfromFacebookrightnowthatabusersareseeingthisasanopportunitytotargetchildrenusingFacebookservices,becausethisisaperiodwhenmostofthemonitoringservicesareturnedoff,”hesaid.TheUSNationalCenterforMissing&ExploitedChildrenhasreleaseddatashowinga46%fallinreferralsforchildsexualabusematerialcomingfromtheEUinthefirstthreeweekssinceFacebookturnedoffscanning.IntheUK,whichisnolongercoveredbythedirective,Facebookcontinuestooperateitsscanningprogramme,asitdoesintherestoftheworld.Pollingshowsthat18%ofUKadultstrustFacebooktomaketherightdecisionswhenitcomestoprotectingchildrenfromchildabuseonline,against55%whodisagreewiththestatement.TheNSPCC’sfearisthatthesocialnetworkisusingthenewregulationsasapretexttostopscanningforchildabuseimagery,sinceitisopenlyplanningtechnologicalchangeswhichwouldmakesuchscanningimpossible.In2019,MarkZuckerbergannounceda“pivottoprivacy”forFacebook,withaplantointegratethecompany’smessagingservices(Messenger,InstagramandWhatsApp)andencryptthecontents.“Whentherestoftheindustryhasarrivedattheconclusionthatscanningispermissible,andrecognisedthattheimmediateimpactsofstoppingitareconsiderable,itfeelshighlyimprobablethatFacebook’salternativereadingisn’tdirectlyrelatedtowheretheywanttogowithend-to-endencryption,”Burrowssaid.Inajointstatement,fourofFacebook’scompetitors,includingGoogle,MicrosoftandRoblox,saidlastyearthattheywouldcontinuetoscantheirplatforms.“WebelievetheonlyresponsibleapproachistoremainsteadfastinhonouringoursafetycommitmentsthatEuropeanusers–and,indeed,usersaroundtheworld–expectandrelyupon,”thefoursaid.ButFacebookdeniedithadachoice,anddisputedtheallegationthatitwasseekingotherreasonstostopscanning.“We’recommittedtocomplyingwiththeEuropeancommission’se-privacydirective(ePD)intheEU,”aspokespersonsaid.“WecontinuetobeconcernedwithpartsoftheePDandtheproposedamendment.Wehavesuggestedchangesthatwouldpermitustousemetadatatohelpkeeppeoplesafewhileretainingimportantprivacyprotections.“Ourcompliancewiththee-privacydirectivedoesnotmeanwearestoppingourfightagainstchildsexualabuseandwestillhaveanumberoftoolsinplacetohelpkeeppeoplesafe.We’veinvestedheavilyintechnologyandpeopletoprevent,detectandrespondtopotentialharmandabuse,andwillcontinuetoinvestinthesetoolsasallowedunderthelaw.”TheEUisfinalisingthenewrulesthroughitstrialogueprocess,inwhichtheEuropeancommission,councilandparliamentnegotiateafinalversionofthetext.Whenthatisconcluded,whichcouldbeassoonasnextweek,theremaybemoreexplicitpermissionforFacebooktoresumeitsscanning.TopicsFacebookChildrenEuropeanUnionSocialnetworkingEuropenewsReusethiscontentMostpopularMostpopularWorldEuropeUSAmericasAsiaAustraliaMiddleEastAfricaInequalityGlobaldevelopment