EU to again vote to extend ‘chat control’ rules
EU lawmakers are set to vote again on a controversial “chat control” measure that would let tech firms scan messages for child sexual abuse material, including end-to-end encrypted communications. The European Parliament used an urgent procedure to schedule a vote Thursday on extending a legal framework that expired in early April. A rejection or amendment would need an absolute majority of 361 votes. The proposal is highly divisive among privacy and cryptography advocates, who argue it undermines private communications. The Parliament narrowly approved the urgent procedure, 331 to 304 with 11 abstentions. In March, lawmakers had rejected a temporary extension of the same scheme. The latest push was revived by the European People’s Party, which wants to restore the interim rules without changes. EU member states also agreed last month to reinstate an interim measure allowing providers to detect, report, and remove abusive material until 2028.
