The European Parliament has once again given the green light for companies such as Meta, Google, or Microsoft to voluntarily track the private conversations of their users in search of child sexual abuse material. The striking thing is that the decision is going to go ahead despite the fact that more MEPs have voted against it than in favor.
What Has Happened?
The European Chamber voted this Thursday on the extension of the so-called “ePrivacy exception”, a temporary rule that allows (but does not require) messaging platforms to scan chats, emails, and social networks to detect already identified child abuse content. This exception will now remain in force until April 2028.
Without Absolute Majority
Despite more deputies voting against this extension, the necessary absolute majority of 361 votes to overturn it has not been reached. In such cases, the proposal goes ahead by default, even when votes against outnumber those in favor.
In Detail
The original text, approved in 2021, had expired on April 3 after the parliament refused to extend it with 311 votes against and 228 for, alongside 92 abstentions, according to Brussels Signal. The European People’s Party (EPP) employed an unusual emergency procedure to revive the proposal, significantly backed by President Roberta Metsola and various national governments.
Recent Developments
The rejection proposal fell short by 47 votes of the required absolute majority. Before the final vote, amendments were successfully added to exclude end-to-end encryption services, such as WhatsApp and Signal, from being monitored, as confirmed by Euronews.
Critical Voices
While some MEPs supported limiting the scope of the rule, their earlier facilitation of the emergency procedure has drawn significant criticism. Simeon de Brouwer from the digital rights organization European Digital Rights noted that this regulation allows companies to monitor any message, email, or image shared by users. Activist and former MEP Patrick Breyer termed the entire maneuver a “farce” that undermines democracy and ultimately harms minors.
Concerns Over Effectiveness
Citing European Commission figures, Breyer noted that mass scanning has only accounted for 36% of abuse reports in 2024, with most cases arising from public posts and cloud storage services. Additionally, the German Federal Criminal Police reported that 48% of alerts generated lack criminal relevance, and 40% of investigations target minors, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of this extensive monitoring.
And Now What?
This recent vote merely prolongs the current system, which is temporary and not mandatory; companies may scan messages if they choose but are not legally required to do so. A more permanent and stringent regulation, referred to as Chat Control 2.0, is still under negotiation. Until further changes occur, companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft will continue to monitor user messages, emails, and photos until 2028, with the primary exception of end-to-end encrypted communications.
Cover image | Wikipedia, Pexels
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