Online child abuse

Child exploitation in cyberspace is one of the most serious challenges of the digital age, requiring innovative approaches and advanced technologies to combat it. In this regard, Microsoft has developed Project Artemis—an analytical tool that identifies suspected grooming behaviors in online textual conversations and reports them to the relevant authorities. Although introduced as a solution to enhance children’s safety, this technology raises concerns regarding user privacy, data collection and processing methods, and potential misuse of surveillance systems. Issues such as extensive monitoring of user communications, possible misidentification of conversations, and challenges related to data governance demand deeper investigation. This paper adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to examine these concerns, aiming to strike a balance between child protection and users' privacy rights. While Artemis proves to be an effective tool in identifying and addressing online child sexual abuse, it also faces limitations such as inefficacy in encrypted chats, lack of comprehensive preventive strategies, and privacy concerns. Full effectiveness requires the development of complementary technologies, legal reinforcement, policy collaboration, and broader engagement from communication platforms. Furthermore, designing localized tools tailored to national cultural contexts should also be considered.