The EU is considering a proposal to introduce filters for blocking of child abuse websites. European Digital Rights urges the Parliament and Council to rethink these plans. Child abuse and its portrayal on the Internet is a terrible crime that is sometimes of a severity that is scarcely believable. It must be treated seriously, with policies based on evidence and effectiveness and not on politics or gut reactions. We must avoid policies which give Member States the opportunity to adopt cosmetic measures that we have already seen being used as a replacement for real action. Evidence from countries that have imposed blocking proves conclusively that this policy is employed.
