Key facts
- The European Parliament will vote again on 'chat control' legislation.
- The legislation would require tech firms to scan private messages.
- The purpose of scanning is to detect child sexual abuse material.
- The European People's Party revived the proposal.
- An urgent procedure was used to revive the proposal.
- The legislation was previously rejected in March.
The European Parliament is scheduled to hold another vote on the contentious 'chat control' legislation, which, if passed, would compel technology companies to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material. This legislative effort was brought back for consideration by the European People's Party, utilizing an urgent procedure. The proposal had previously been rejected by the Parliament in March, indicating significant opposition. The revived legislation seeks to establish a framework for identifying and reporting illegal content found within private communications. However, the initiative faces strong criticism from privacy advocates and civil liberties groups who express concerns about the potential for widespread surveillance and the erosion of fundamental privacy rights.