Key facts
- The European Parliament is preparing to vote on legislation to extend a temporary regime allowing tech companies to scan online communications for child sexual abuse material.
- Critics refer to the legislation as 'chat control' due to privacy concerns, particularly regarding end-to-end encrypted communications.
- A previous temporary extension proposal was rejected by the Parliament in March.
- The European People's Party (EPP) used a procedural maneuver to revive the extension, which EU countries subsequently agreed to reinstate.
- The reinstated measure would permit online service providers to detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse material until 2028.
The European Parliament is preparing for a crucial vote on controversial legislation that would enable technology companies to scan online communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This proposed measure, which critics have dubbed 'chat control,' raises significant privacy concerns, particularly for end-to-end encrypted communications.
A previous legal framework that permitted platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger to voluntarily identify users suspected of sharing CSAM expired on April 3. A proposal for a temporary extension of this scheme was put forward by the European Commission but was rejected by the European Parliament in March.
However, the European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the Parliament, has revived the temporary extension through a less common legislative procedure. This move aims to bypass previous objections and amendments introduced by left-wing lawmakers that sought to restrict the scope of the scanning. EPP leader Manfred Weber has been a key proponent of adopting the extension without changes.
Following a request from the EPP to Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and with no objections from other groups, the Parliament's leadership is moving forward with the interim file. EU leaders subsequently agreed last week to reinstate the measure, which would allow online service providers to detect, report, and remove CSAM until 2028. This version has no substantial changes from the original proposal.
The upcoming vote in Parliament is expected to be easier to pass for supporters due to the procedural advantage gained by the EPP's move. Under the 'ordinary legislative procedure,' a text is adopted unless an absolute majority of all MEPs reject or amend it. Critics, such as Greens/MEP Markéta Gregorová, argue that this unusual process forces a vote and questions democratic principles by allowing a majority to impose its priorities.
If the Parliament approves the urgent procedure requested by the EPP on Tuesday, the vote on the extension itself is scheduled for Thursday. MEPs like Ignazio Marino have strongly opposed the legislation, defining it as 'mass surveillance' and advocating for 'smart enforcement' to protect children without scanning the private messages of innocent individuals.