French authorities have detained 37 individuals in connection with a large-scale investigation into the downloading and distribution of child pornography in eastern France.
The arrests followed the discovery of more than one million illegal photos and videos as part of the operation, according to a statement from the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté gendarmerie.
Since November, 270 gendarmes, including 36 cybercrime specialists, have been involved in the investigation. Authorities seized a total of 60 computers, 290 hard drives, 27 mobile phones, eight tablets, and four cameras during the operation. In addition, weapons and drugs were found at four of the locations. A similar operation in the same region in March 2023 led to the detention of 17 individuals for similar charges.
This investigation follows the tightening of France’s pornography laws in May 2023. The updated legislation requires online platforms to remove child pornography within 24 hours of a police report, with platform owners facing up to one year in prison and a €250,000 fine for violations. Repeat offenders could face even steeper fines. The law also mandates that websites and video-sharing platforms implement age verification systems to prevent minors from accessing adult content.
In a broader context, there has been ongoing political debate in Europe about the Child Sexual Abuse Material regulation, which would permit digital platforms to scan encrypted user communications. Proponents argue it could aid in detecting child sexual abuse material, while opponents see it as a threat to online privacy.
The rise of artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse content has also raised alarm, with the UK-based charity Internet Watch Foundation warning of a growing volume of such material.
