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EU parliament fails to block Chat Control's reintroduction due to insufficient support among MEPs; the legislation will now be sent back to the Council of the European Union for approval or rejection.
The European Parliament has failed to prevent the reintroduction of Chat Control, a rule allowing tech companies to scan user chats for signs of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The measure requires 360 MEPs to reject the Council of the European Union's position, which was not met. The controversy surrounding Chat Control has raised concerns about misuse and erosion of users' privacy. Proponents argue that it is a necessary measure to protect children from online harms, while critics point out that the balance between preservation of user privacy and access for law enforcement agencies is difficult to achieve. The legislation will now be sent back to the Council of the European Union for approval or rejection.
The European Parliament has once again failed to prevent the reintroduction of an interim rule allowing tech companies to scan user chats for signs of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly referred to as Chat Control or Chat Control 1.0. This measure was introduced under the assumption that a more comprehensive and permanent framework, known as the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), would be in place by now.
Despite securing more votes than those who wanted to keep the interim rule alive, the effort to abolish it failed due to insufficient support among MEPs. The vote required 360 MEPs to reject the Council of the European Union's position, a threshold that was not met. As a result, the attempt to scrap Chat Control has been put on hold, and the legislation is set to be sent back to the Council of the European Union for approval or rejection.
The controversy surrounding Chat Control has been ongoing since its introduction in August 2021, with critics labeling it as "suspicionless mass surveillance." The measure allows tech companies to voluntarily scan user chats for signs of CSAM, but it has raised concerns about the potential for misuse and erosion of users' privacy. Opponents argue that the rule infringes upon the public's right to privacy and that the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
On the other hand, proponents of Chat Control argue that it is a necessary measure to protect children from online harms and that it strikes a balance between preserving user privacy and allowing law enforcement agencies to access evidence. However, critics point out that this balance is difficult to achieve, as client-side scanning remains highly controversial due to its potential to break the principle of fully encrypted communications.
The current legislation, Chat Control 1.0, is essentially the same as the one introduced in 2021 but without legal permission to scan end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messages. This change was secured by MEPs, who also managed to exclude E2EE platforms from Chat Control's scanning provisions. However, the practical effect of this change may be limited, as providers should not be able to inspect message contents in transit.
The fate of Chat Control now hangs in the balance, with the Council of the European Union set to decide on the legislation within three months. If approved, it will be valid until 2028 or until a permanent solution is passed. A conciliation committee may be convened if the Council cannot accept all the amendments, and a genuine, permanent child protection regulation remains in jeopardy.
Former MEP Patrick Breyer, one of the movement's more outspoken campaigners, expressed his disappointment with the outcome, stating that "the fact that Chat Control is moving forward against the will of the majority of voting MEPs is a farce and damages democracy." He also warned that the passage of a genuine, permanent child protection regulation is now in serious jeopardy due to the Council's reluctance to accept a more comprehensive approach.
The debate surrounding Chat Control has shed light on the long-running conflict between the public's right to privacy and law enforcement's need to access evidence that could help prosecute those who create, possess, or distribute CSAM. As the European Parliament continues to grapple with this issue, it remains to be seen whether a more effective and sustainable solution can be found.
EU parliament fails to block Chat Control's reintroduction due to insufficient support among MEPs; the legislation will now be sent back to the Council of the European Union for approval or rejection.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-European-Union-Security-Fiasco-Chat-Controls-Reintroduction-Hangs-in-the-Balance-ehn.shtml
https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/07/09/meps-fail-to-prevent-chat-control-snoopfest-revival/5269379
Published: Thu Jul 9 11:31:21 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
