EU now one step away from reviving private message scanning rules

6 hours ago

The European Parliament voted 331-304 to fast-track legislation that would revive the expired "Chat Control 1.0" rules, allowing a decisive vote on July 9.
This legislation would permit online platforms to voluntarily scan private user communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), separate from the ongoing "Chat Control 2.0" negotiations for a permanent framework.
The temporary regulation (EU) 2021/1232 expired in April 2026, and the Council seeks to reintroduce it, criticized as an unprecedented revival of rejected legislation.
The July 9 vote requires an absolute majority of 361 MEPs to reject or amend the proposal; otherwise, the Council's text proceeds without additional safeguards.
Key disagreements in the permanent regulation involve suspicionless scanning of encrypted communications, with Parliament advocating for judicial authorization and the Council supporting broader voluntary measures.
The EU is pursuing two parallel legislative tracks: one to restore temporary voluntary scanning and another for a permanent CSAM detection law.

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