EU Parliament adopts temporary Chat Control law to scan private messages

The European Parliament voted on 9 July 2026 to adopt a temporary “Chat Control 1.0” regulation that obliges major messaging and email platforms to scan private communications for child sexual‑abuse material. The vote was technically a rejection of the proposal (314 against, 276 for) but fell short of the absolute 361‑vote majority required to block it, allowing the measure to pass.

The law extends a derogation that had expired in April 2026, permitting voluntary, automated scanning of messages, images and files on services such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Gmail, Facebook‑Messenger and others. An amendment excludes end‑to‑end‑encrypted communications, but critics say the measure still threatens privacy for roughly 450 million EU citizens and could set a precedent for broader surveillance.

Member‑state representatives and digital‑rights groups have sharply criticized the procedure, calling it a “democratic back‑door” and warning that the technology may be repurposed for non‑child‑protection surveillance. The proposal will now return to the European Council for final approval within three months.