Digital fixes and techno-solutionism : the EU's tech-based battle against child sexual abuse

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dc.contributor.authorTEN HULSEN, Leonore Josine Florence
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-25T14:10:42Z
dc.date.available2025-06-25T14:10:42Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionPublished online: 17 June 2025
dc.description.abstractWorldwide, the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is increasingly gaining attention as a widespread crime that needs to be addressed. In response, the European Commission proposed new legislation to regulate the prevention and combating of CSAM, resulting in the proposal for a Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse in May 2022. However, this proposed Regulation has sparked significant controversy and debate and has not yet been adopted or implemented. This article examines the developments and content of the proposed Regulation through the lens of techno-solutionism. In essence, techno-solutionism is the reframing of complex societal issues as problems that can be solved with technology or as processes that can be optimized with the right technology in place. It assumes a certain level of knowledge about the problem, rather than investigating it first. This article asserts that techno-solutionism is prevalent in the proposal, which poses risks to encryption and the fundamental right to privacy. Moreover, an overly techno-solutionist approach to addressing child sexual abuse can lead to unintended harm, potentially creating new issues rather than solving the original problem. One such consequence could be wrongful accusations of child abuse, causing significant damage to innocent individuals. The article proposes strategies to mitigate such risks, challenging the premise that new technologies can be an all-encompassing solution to child sexual abuse, while simultaneously not excluding effective uses of technological solutions.
dc.identifier.citationNew journal of European criminal law, 2025, OnlineFirst
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/20322844251348131
dc.identifier.issn2032-2844
dc.identifier.issn2399-293X
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1814/92873
dc.language.isoen
dc.orcid.putcode1814/81740:186731957
dc.publisherSage
dc.relation.ispartofNew journal of European criminal law
dc.subjectChild sexual abuse (material)
dc.subjectEU law enforcement
dc.subjectCSAM
dc.subjectCybercrime
dc.subjectFundamental rights
dc.titleDigital fixes and techno-solutionism : the EU's tech-based battle against child sexual abuse
dc.typeArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
person.identifier.orcid0009-0001-8428-173X
person.identifier.other46545
relation.isAuthorOfPublication2ce1838a-e176-4f39-9c1d-1b0d16bb14ac
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery2ce1838a-e176-4f39-9c1d-1b0d16bb14ac
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