European Commission publishes guidance on child sexual abuse material detection under Digital Services Act

The European Commission published on 30 August 2024 formal guidance clarifying that very large online platforms and search engines under the Digital Services Act may continue to use technology to detect, remove and report child sexual abuse material while the proposed Child Sexual Abuse Regulation is under negotiation. The guidance confirms that existing voluntary measures to combat illegal content including grooming and CSAM remain consistent with DSA obligations and that platforms must assess systemic risks including those to children and take proportionate mitigation measures.

Voluntary detection measures depend on platform deployment and leave gaps where adoption is incomplete or enforcement is inconsistent across jurisdictions. A dedicated AI safety layer that monitors the direct-message environment across multiple platforms intercepts grooming and exploitation in real time regardless of where the platform is headquartered or which regulatory framework applies, surfacing coercion, material sharing and escalation patterns to parents and authorities before abuse is completed. The world-leading online-safety technology developed by Guardii includes specific detection modules for grooming, sextortion and child sexual abuse material including AI-generated and deepfake imagery, operating as a cross-platform overlay on Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Roblox and other messaging services, and reporting the shape and seriousness of a conversation rather than its content, ensuring that children in crisis reach the right professional at the moment intervention is most effective.