European Union lawmakers failed to stop the return of the interim 'Chat Control' rule, which would again let online communication services scan user messages for child sexual abuse material. Although more Members of the European Parliament voted to scrap it than to keep it, opponents did not reach the 360-vote threshold needed to reject the Council's position. A related amendment that would have limited scanning to judicially identified accounts also failed, while an amendment excluding end-to-end encrypted services passed. The proposal now returns to the Council of the European Union, which has three months to accept or reject the amended text.
Why it matters: This matters because it could restore legal cover for broad message scanning across consumer communications platforms in the EU, with direct privacy and surveillance implications even if encrypted chats are formally excluded. Messaging providers, rights groups, and users should watch the Council process closely because the measure could be reinstated through 2028.
2026.07.10
98% relevant
This article reports the same underlying event: the European Parliament vote reviving the interim rule that permits platforms to continue voluntary CSAM scanning, adds procedural details about how the measure passed, notes the lapse since April, and clarifies the extension now runs until 2028 while broader Chat Control 2.0 negotiations continue.
2026.07.09
100% relevant
This article establishes a concrete legislative milestone: an unsuccessful parliamentary effort to stop reintroduction of the interim EU Chat Control framework, sending the amended proposal back to the Council for possible revival.
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