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The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that police can lawfully use specialized software to monitor IP addresses of internet users distributing child pornography, according to the Legal Service.
The Court upheld the use of ICACCOPS, a program that identifies IP addresses linked to the sharing of known child pornography files. It also found that internet service providers’ general retention of IP addresses, dynamic or static, is legal because an IP address is not considered personal data until disclosed by the provider.
Rejecting a suspect’s appeal to annul a police access order, the Court warned that an opposing stance “would pose a real risk of systemic impunity” for crimes committed online. The decision stemmed from an investigation into a Cypriot suspect accused of possessing and sharing child pornography between September 2022 and January 2025.
The suspect’s lawyers argued the IP data was illegally obtained, but the Court sided with the Attorney General, who maintained that ICACCOPS does not violate privacy rights. The ruling confirms police access to telecommunications data under court order remains lawful.
Senior State Attorney Andreas P. Aristides and State Attorney Nadia Koliarou represented the Attorney General in the case.
