EU States Back Away From Forcing Big Tech to Detect and Remove Child Pornography

Teenagers pose for a photo while holding smartphones in front of a Meta logo in this illustration taken Sept. 11, 2025. Dado Ruvic/ReutersBRUSSELS—European Union member states have agreed a common position on draft online child protection legislation without forcing global tech companies to identify and remove online child sexual abuse.The position, announced on Wednesday by the European Council, represents a victory for U.S. companies such as Alphabet’s Google, Meta and others as well as for anti-surveillance activists who had argued the draft rules threaten privacy. It is part of a wider pushback against regulation led by U.S. President Donald Trump.