EU Parliament votes to revive controversial Chat Control surveillance law

On 7 July 2026 the European Parliament approved an urgent procedure to bring back the “Chat Control” exemption that lets online‑messaging providers voluntarily scan private communications for child‑sexual‑abuse material. The vote was 331 in favour, 304 against and 11 abstentions. The procedure means the proposal will be deemed adopted on 9 July – the last plenary day before the summer recess – unless at least 361 of the 719 MEPs actively vote against it, so any empty seat counts as a yes vote.

The exemption, first introduced in 2021 as a temporary exception to the EU ePrivacy rules, expired in April 2026. The Council of the EU adopted a new draft extending the measure until April 2028, and the Parliament’s urgent request, driven by the European People’s Party and supported by many Socialists, placed it back on the agenda. Critics, including Greens, Liberals and digital‑rights groups, warn that the rule enables mass surveillance and breaches the digital confidentiality of roughly 450 million EU citizens. Proponents argue it is essential for protecting children online. The next step is a final vote in Strasbourg, after which the text must still be approved by the European Commission and the Council.