Croatia’s CNZD uses EU Digital Services Act to remove illegal content

The Center for Missing and Exploited Children (CNZD) in Croatia has begun actively removing illegal online content targeting children following its designation as a ‘trusted flagger’ under the European Digital Services Act (DSA). The status, granted by the Croatian regulatory agency HAKOM on July 23, mandates that social media platforms operating in the EU must prioritize and process CNZD notifications without delay.

Since receiving this status, CNZD has received 231 reports and issued 16 notices to various platforms. Telegram received the highest number of reports, resulting in five notices. Other notices were sent to TikTok, Discord, and Meta (Instagram). In response to TikTok notifications, the platform resolved eight cases within two days, removing two accounts and two posts related to the mockery of children and the sharing of photos without consent.

Reports sent to Discord and Meta involved instances of sexual extortion and servers providing sexual content to minors. While platforms have been establishing dedicated channels for trusted flaggers, CNZD noted that Meta’s specific channel was not yet operational as of late September.