Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
EU Parliament Blocks Chat Control Scanning
Coverage from Reclaim The Net, CEPIS, and others
Articles
3
Latest Article
03/27
Active Days
4
Executive Summary
EU lawmakers voted to block bulk scanning of private chats and photos, stalling Chat Control rules as the current legal exemption nears expiry
- The European Parliament rejected automated scanning of private photos and text messages by a single vote
- The vote blocked the most invasive parts of the Chat Control proposal after an earlier rejection on March 13
- A temporary EU derogation allowing voluntary CSAM scanning by major platforms expires on 4 April
- The proposal covered hash matching, AI review of unseen images and videos, and text analysis of private chats
- Critics said the tools amount to untargeted mass surveillance and can produce false flags and privacy violations
- Research cited reliability problems with PhotoDNA and reported many flagged chats were criminally irrelevant
- Law enforcement and tech companies warned the decision could reduce CyberTips and weaken child protection detection
Quick Facts
- What: Rejected bulk scanning of private chats and photos
- Where: European Union legislative process in Brussels
- Why: To block untargeted surveillance and privacy intrusions
- Who: European Parliament lawmakers, tech firms, privacy advocates
- When: After March 13 vote, before 4 April expiry
Coverage Timeline: 4 Days
Featured Article
The European Parliament voted against Chat Control bulk scanning of private photos and messages, following a rejected earlier attempt and ahead of a 4 April derogation expiry.
Additional Articles
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On 11 March, CEPIS urged the European Parliament to maintain a vote restricting private message scanning to judicially targeted groups rather than renewing mass surveillance under Chat Control 1.0.
European Parliament voted against extending CSAM detection scanning exemptions for online services in the EU, affecting next Friday rule expiry and Europol CyberTips reporting.