The EU Parliament advances a bill letting tech companies scan for CSAM, reviving a proposal rejected in March, with an exemption for E2EE services like WhatsApp

Politico 2026-07-10 Sam Clark

Context & Ripple Effects

The Parliament’s move follows the April expiry of a temporary EU framework for voluntary CSAM scanning, after lawmakers failed to agree on an extension. It also revives a policy debate that has repeatedly stalled over whether scanning obligations can coexist with end-to-end encryption.

Earlier EU proposals drew privacy objections because they could have required services such as WhatsApp and Signal to scan communications. The reported exemption for end-to-end encrypted services narrows that conflict while allowing the proposal to advance.

First-order effects

Tech and social-media companies covered by the bill would face a renewed path toward permission or requirements to scan for CSAM, while end-to-end encrypted services such as WhatsApp would be exempted under the reported text.
The exemption gives encrypted messaging providers clearer near-term protection from the scanning approach that prior drafts had threatened, while leaving non-E2EE services more directly exposed to compliance obligations.

Second-order effects

The split treatment of encrypted and non-encrypted services could push platforms to distinguish more sharply between private messaging and other product surfaces when designing safety systems and compliance processes.
Privacy advocates and lawmakers are likely to focus the next fight on the exemption’s scope and on safeguards for scanning elsewhere, rather than on a blanket mandate covering encrypted messaging.

Third-order effects

If EU policy continues to pair CSAM-detection rules with explicit E2EE carve-outs, the regulatory model may evolve toward platform-specific obligations rather than a uniform scanning regime.
The recurring failure and revival of these measures suggests that child-safety enforcement and communications privacy will remain a durable legislative trade-off, with final rules dependent on whether lawmakers can sustain a compromise.

The trend: EU digital policy is moving toward targeted content-safety obligations that seek to preserve end-to-end encryption while imposing greater responsibilities on other online services.

Discussion

MLex MLex on x
Platforms in EU await decision on potentially restoring voluntary CSAM detection rules
@MartinSonneborn Martin Sonneborn on x
[Translated] In case anyone's wondering how House Speaker Metsola could have possibly come up with the bright idea of (illegally) putting chat monitoring back on the agenda for today at noon - here are a few snapshots from her California trip at the end of May... Smiley! Picture…
@tutaprivacy Tuta on x
🚨 #ChatControl 1.0 HAS PASSED - despite a majority voting against it (314:276) 🚨 After the EU parliament has rejected #ChatControl TWICE in the past, it has been pushed as an urgent procedure for a new plenary vote. TODAY the EU parliament has voted YES for #ChatControl [image]
@dhh @dhh on x
Chat control in the EU, VPN restrictions in the UK. All in service of ensuring that the natives don't dare critique the regimes online. When the Brits and the rest of Europe has finally had enough of this, it'll be an explosive moment.
@ijoveva Irena Joveva on x
Twisted procedure. Changed votes. Mine never. The forced extension of #ChatControl was a political choice. Protecting children&privacy are not mutually exclusive! I secured one safeguard: exclusion of E2E encrypted communications from the scope. Small victory, but far from over: …
@rob_roos Rob Roos on x
Today the EP greenlit Chat Control 1.0 despite a majority voting AGAINST it (314-276). @EP_President Metsola & @vonderleyen's @EPPGroup forced an urgent procedure (Rule 170) citing “unforeseen developments” to revive a proposal Parliament rejected twice. No committee scrutiny.
@andyyen Andy Yen on x
This is what treason looks like. @EP_President Metsola just sold out the privacy of European citizens to her Big Tech paymasters, despite a majority of parliament voting no. #chatcontrol
@neolatyno @neolatyno on x
The European Parliament has just amended the EPP's proposal that provides for mass surveillance with Chat Control. By approving amendment 30, which prohibits the application of the regulation to interpersonal conversations protected by end-to-end encryption, we have saved
@nxt4eu Nxt Eu on x
Chat Control has been passed, even though a majority voted against. This is because @EPPGroup used an urgent procedure that would require an absolute majority to reject it. What a disgusting way of politics. Europeans will remember, and vote the EPP out in the next election.
@fidias0 Fidias Panayiotou on x
CHAT CONTROL IS COMING Even though most Members of the European Parliament have voted to REJECT Chat Control, we have not been able to reach the absolute majority that was needed (361 Members). This is a sad day for Europeans. [image]
@eastdakota Matthew Prince on x
Remind me who protects privacy again?
@matthew_d_green Matthew Green on x
Although this isn't great news, I'm grateful to see how far ChatControl has penetrated into the non-tech zeitgeist. A couple of years ago it felt like there were fifty people in the world who cared. [image]
@adriandittmann Adrian Dittmann on x
Chatcontrol is coming, all thanks to a procedural trick: They invoked an “urgent procedure” which led to a vote (scheduled for a low attendance day before the summer recess, with many MEPs absent due to vacations) where an absolute majority of 361 votes was needed to reject the
@mullvadnet @mullvadnet on x
Chat Control 1 is back. Despite the European Parliament voting down the legislation twice this year, the Council of the European Union and parts of the Parliament today managed - through an urgent procedure - to extend it for another two years. The law was originally introduced […
@europarl_en @europarl_en on x
Parliament adopted amendments to a privacy exemption allowing electronic communication services to voluntarily detect child sexual abuse. Learn more: https://link.europa.eu/XY3NPh [video]
@svnee Sven Clement on x
The European Parliament voted AGAINST Chat Control. 314 to 276. And it passed anyway. Let me tell you how: they needed 361 votes to say no. On the last day before vacation. Every empty seat counted as a yes. They lost the vote. They won the law. That's not democracy. That…
@connoralleneu Connor Allen on x
If encrypted messages are to be excluded from #chatcontrol then the entire thing should be halted. The logic of the proposal is specifically to fight crime. But as most criminal activity uses encryption anyway, all you'd be left with is the state snooping on normal people.
@f4micom @f4micom on x
this is more of a general reflection on the whole situation abstracted from the chatcontrol situation but like: the problem here at the core is that to pass this gestapo-ass law they transparently went completely anti-democratic (forcing the vote several times after a rejection
@neolatyno @neolatyno on x
All member states themselves (except Italy) pushed for this “urgency” voting! This is ridiculous! Chat Control goes directly in conflict with the Italian constitution and privacy law, as well as with France, Czechia, Germany, Slovenia et alia. There will be a legal battle FO SURE
@neolatyno @neolatyno on x
🔴 CHAT CONTROL PASSED 🔴 As anticipated, even if for the 3rd time the majority of the EMP's voted to refuse this mass surveillance bill from the People's Party, they couldn't reach the qualified majority to reject it. How is that democracy? European people DO NOT WANT THIS! [image…
@f4micom @f4micom on x
so, let's not panic, the situation SUCKS but it is a restoration of the previous law (yes, we already had this in place, it sucks) moving forward, you gotta assume pretty much every platform that is not explicitly and publicly providing end to end encryption to chats will scan
@bert_vda Bert Van der Auwera on x
This marks the end of a European Parliament that stands up for its citizens. Chat Control affects everyone, except those who wish to commit criminal offences. They use tools that remain hidden. This marks the end of privacy, of the right to be oneself as an individual, and of
@eppgroup @eppgroup on x
🚨 96 days and counting. How many more days will European children remain unprotected online? Behind every “legal gap” lies a real-world consequence. This is what we are missing: ◼️38 reports every minute ◼️54,795 reports every day ◼️20 million reports every year The [image]
Borja Bosch Borja Bosch on linkedin
🚨 An important defeat in our battle for #privacy and sovereignty! If you haven't read about Chat Control 1.0, you should! …
Bart Preneel Bart Preneel on linkedin
If you thought democracy was about a majority of MEPs - after careful consideration of all inputs - approving a proposal, well the EU is different. …
Bert de Jong Bert de Jong on linkedin
Unfortunately, the mass surveillance of EU civilians is back as chat control 1.0 was voted into action again: …
r/law r on reddit
Chat Control 1.0 just passed the EU Parliament (276 in favour, 314 against, 17 abstained), which allows mass scanning of private communications without a warrant. …
r/technology r on reddit
Europe's conservatives revive zombie bill on child abuse scanning • Top-level pressure and obscure procedures breathe new life …
r/europe r on reddit
Europe's conservatives revive zombie bill on child abuse scanning
r/technology r on reddit
Chat Control 1.0 passes EU Parliament with 276 votes in favour, 314 against

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