EU parliament approves chat-control scans until 2028
European Parliament voted to revive rules letting tech firms scan private messages for child sexual abuse material until 2028, while exempting end-to-end encrypted communications.
The European Parliament approved on Thursday temporary rules allowing tech companies to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material until 2028. The measure revives a legal framework that expired in April.
Stopping the extension required 361 votes against it; 314 MEPs voted to block the extension while 276 voted in favor. Parliament used a rarely used urgent procedure to bring the issue back to the floor this week.
An amendment adopted by Parliament excludes ‘communications to which end-to-end encryption is, has been or will be applied.’ The amendment was tabled by the Pirate Party and won a majority in the chamber.
Markéta Gregorová, a Pirate Party MEP who proposed the amendment, called the result “a bittersweet victory,” adding that protecting encryption was a priority while noting that “voluntary mass scanning unfortunately passed.”
Privacy and cryptography advocates say the broader law threatens the principle behind encrypted messaging because it sanctions systematic scanning. Backers of the rules say automated detection tools are needed to identify and remove child sexual abuse material.
Since the framework lapsed in April, platforms such as WhatsApp have been permitted to carry out voluntary screening measures on their own.
Parliament first rejected a temporary extension in March after amendments narrowed the scope of scanning. The centre-right European People’s Party, which opposed the March extension, pushed the urgent procedure this week to revive the measure.
The package, with Parliament’s amendments, will be sent to the Council of the European Union, where member state ministers will approve or reject the text. If the Council accepts Parliament’s changes, the temporary rules will remain in force until 2028.
Negotiations on a permanent version of the law, often called ‘Chat Control 2.0,’ are due to resume in September. Former MEP Patrick Breyer warned that the “political battle over the permanent ‘Chat Control 2.0’ is just getting started” and described finding a majority for “permanent, suspicionless mass scanning” as “a complete pipe dream.”
The vote leaves unresolved whether future scanning should be targeted at suspected accounts or applied more broadly.
The material on GNcrypto is intended solely for informational use and must not be regarded as financial advice. We make every effort to keep the content accurate and current, but we cannot warrant its precision, completeness, or reliability. GNcrypto does not take responsibility for any mistakes, omissions, or financial losses resulting from reliance on this information. Any actions you take based on this content are done at your own risk. Always conduct independent research and seek guidance from a qualified specialist. For further details, please review our Terms, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers.
Articles by this author
