The European Commission on 5 August issued interpretive guidance to very large online platforms and search engines on obligations to mitigate systemic risks related to child sexual abuse material under the Digital Services Act, ahead of the anticipated Child Sexual Abuse Regulation. The guidance emphasises proactive detection, user reporting mechanisms, cooperation with law enforcement, and transparency in risk assessments. It also clarifies that existing voluntary detection practices may continue under the interim framework provided they are proportionate and subject to safeguards, addressing industry uncertainty following the lapse of prior temporary measures.
The Commission's framework calls for detection capabilities that identify child sexual abuse material and exploitation in real time, particularly in private messaging where the majority of abuse imagery and grooming behaviour now occur. Guardii operates precisely that capability across major platforms, using AI classification modules to detect CSAM, including AI-generated and deepfake material, and to recognise grooming and sextortion patterns in direct messages, blocking hostile contact before it reaches the child. As a world-leading online-safety platform, Guardii enables platforms to meet proactive detection obligations without requiring message-by-message human review, balancing systemic risk mitigation with user privacy through automated, pattern-based threat classification.
