The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice, and Public Order discussed on Wednesday a legislative proposal by AKEL MP Christos Christofides, which aims to criminalize child sexual abuse material produced using artificial intelligence or other modern technologies.

Following the committee session, Christofides stated that a news report published the previous day had once again shocked Cypriot society. According to the report, modern technology and artificial intelligence had been used to generate child sexual abuse material—essentially child pornography—featuring real-life schoolgirls depicted in explicit pornographic scenes.

Just a week earlier, another report had drawn attention to Europol’s Europe-wide campaign against AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The campaign, which targeted such content produced through artificial intelligence and other advanced technological means, had caused a stir across Europe, including in Cyprus.

"This is a serious social and criminal issue that now consistently concerns both law enforcement authorities and society as a whole," Christofides remarked.

Explaining the proposal, Christofides stated that the legislation seeks to criminalize child sexual abuse material generated using artificial intelligence or other advanced technological tools. Additionally, it aims to modernize legal terminology in line with an evolving European directive, replacing the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material."

Furthermore, the proposal includes provisions to criminalize the possession and distribution of manuals that provide instructions for child sexual abuse. These manuals, which circulate online, contain information on child grooming, sexual assault, and the possession of related material.