WhatsApp photos, iMessage texts and Snapchat videos could all be scanned by the EU under new proposed child protection laws.

The proposed law - first introduced in 2022 - would see a moderation system scan all digital messages, including shared videos, images and links.

This comes as the UK is set to become the first country to make AI-generated child abuse material a crime.

Irish Times Business and Technology Correspondent Ciara O’Brien said end-to-end encryption can protect children.

“While some people are arguing that this is putting children risk, it also protects them as well, because it protects their communications - it protects my communications with my child, for example,” she said.

“You put a back door into that, you put a chink into that armour, and then that becomes at risk.

“There have been cases where accounts have been hacked to get images, so then it puts all of that on the table for people who don't have good intentions in mind.”

Young girl using smartphone attached to selfie stick to film content for her online accounts. Image: Alamy

However, there are growing concerns it would infringe on privacy rights.

Ms O’Brien said it could have serious consequences.

“There could be false positives flagged, so it's going to push the authorities under pressure, which means that genuine cases could be missed,” she said.

“What you're going to be dependent on, to a certain extent, is imperfect technology, as it's been put.

“So you'd be using AI to scan all this and that could miss stuff but it could also flag things incorrectly.

“A message that is not containing any sort of child sexual abuse material could be wrongly flagged, which then puts innocent people in the crosshairs.”

In 2023, more than 29,000 incidents of child sexual abuse were recorded in Ireland.

A child using a smartphone. Image: Aiman Dairabaeva / Alamy Stock Photo