Cyprus Court Approves IP Tracking in Child Pornography Cases

The Supreme Court of Cyprus has ruled that the police's use of IP tracking software to combat the distribution of child pornography files is legal. The Legal Service issued a statement regarding this important decision.

According to the announcement, the court upheld the use of the ICACCOPS system, which allows the identification of IP addresses of users distributing such material. The court also ruled that the general retention of IP addresses by internet service providers is legal and that the IP address does not in itself constitute personal data.

The case involved a suspect's request to annul a court order allowing the police access to a specific IP address. The suspect, between September 2022 and January 2025, allegedly possessed and made available for sharing child pornography files. The court rejected the suspect's request.

The case was handled by Andreas P. Aristides and Nadia Koliarou on behalf of the Attorney General.