EU Parliament paves the way for extension of chat control
The EU Parliament wants to extend the data protection exemption. However, the path to the vote is controversial. Services will now continue to be allowed to voluntarily check.
A new attempt for the controversial chat control in the EU: The European Parliament has cleared the way for an extension of the temporary exemption from European data protection rules. This means that online services such as Meta, Google, or Microsoft can continue to automatically scan private messages. The decision was made after a controversial parliamentary procedure, initiated by EU Council President Roberta Metsola, and is considered an important interim step.
With tricks to the desired result
The previous exemption expired at the beginning of April. It allowed providers of messenger services and platforms to automatically detect sent images and videos with known abuse depictions and report suspected cases to the relevant authorities. Large providers such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft are affected, among others.
An extension was actually considered to have failed. However, the European Parliament rejected a corresponding proposal at the end of March because many MEPs demanded stricter data protection requirements. The proposal was again put to a vote at very short notice and, at the beginning of this week – after the Council's approval – was in the so-called second reading of the EU legislative procedure. At this stage, different voting rules apply than before. The Parliament can only change or reject the Council's position with an absolute majority of all MEPs – currently 361 votes. It is therefore no longer sufficient if a majority of the MEPs present vote against it. Because the vote took place at very short notice and immediately before the summer break, opponents of chat control criticized this.
The procedure gives the impression that a proposal that had already failed was to be pushed through by force. Supporters, on the other hand, point out that an interruption of the previous practice would, in their view, have significant consequences for the fight against abuse depictions.
Why "chat control" is so controversial
The current decision does not concern the proposal for mandatory chat control, which has been discussed for years. Instead, it concerns a transitional regulation that continues to allow companies to voluntarily scan chats. Nevertheless, this extension also triggers fierce criticism because it touches on fundamental questions about the protection of private communication. Data protectionists, civil rights organizations, and IT experts have long warned that automated controls could undermine the confidentiality of digital communication.
Another point of contention concerns the technology itself. The systems used are intended to detect known abuse depictions and report suspicious content. Critics, however, point to possible false alarms and warn that uninvolved users could also be affected. In addition, there is concern that control options once created could later be extended to other content.
Now the Council of EU states and the Parliament still have to discuss and agree on some inputs from the MEPs. After that, the new rules can come into force.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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