During a parliamentary debate today in Strasbourg, S&D members strongly called on the EU governments to do their job and incessantly fight child abuse on the internet, avoiding ineffective and dangerous shortcuts.
MEP Birgit Sippel, S&D spokesperson on civil liberties, justice and home affairs, said:
"Member states must reinforce their fight against child abuse on the internet. This, first of all, means that they finally have to do their homework and effectively transpose the directive from December 2011 into national law.
"Member states also have to take on their full responsibility in tackling crimes against children on the internet, they must not outsource it. Public authorities cannot 'wash their hands' and pass the buck to internet service providers to enforce public laws. Internet service providers should co-operate whenever they are asked to do so by a judicial authority. They must not set up private systems of police investigations into citizens' web activity and decide when and what to block. This is the exclusive responsibility of a public authority."
