EU Advances Chat Control Rules Despite Privacy Concerns

The Council of the EU’s agreement on Wednesday represents a significant breakthrough after years of division and deadlock among member states and privacy organizations. The controversial ‘Chat Control’ regulation had been stalled by fundamental disagreements over how to balance child protection objectives with digital privacy rights. The compromise reached allows the legislative file to move into final trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament, marking the most substantial progress on this issue since initial proposals were introduced.

Danish Minister for Justice Peter Hummelgaard, whose country strongly supported the measures, commented on the urgency of the situation: ‘Every year, millions of files are shared that depict the sexual abuse of children… This is completely unacceptable. Therefore, I’m glad that the member states have finally agreed on a way forward that includes a number of obligations for providers of communication services.’ His statement reflects the position of member states who prioritized combating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over privacy concerns.

The agreed framework establishes new obligations for communication service providers to scan for both child sexual abuse material and grooming activities on their platforms. However, the compromise maintains voluntary scanning mechanisms, creating a hybrid approach that attempts to address concerns from both sides of the debate. This structure allows platforms some flexibility in implementation while still creating mandatory reporting and detection requirements for abusive content.

The legislation specifically targets messaging apps and other online services where child sexual abuse material has been circulating in increasing volumes. By focusing on communication platforms rather than the broader internet, the regulation aims to address the primary channels through which CSAM is shared while limiting the scope of content scanning. Nevertheless, privacy advocates argue that even this targeted approach represents a significant intrusion into digital privacy rights.

The agreement’s preservation of voluntary scanning provisions indicates the ongoing tension between member states with different priorities. Some countries had pushed for mandatory scanning across all platforms, while others sought to limit scanning to specific circumstances with judicial oversight. The compromise reflects the political reality that complete consensus on implementation methods remained elusive.

With the Council agreement secured, the legislation now enters the critical final negotiation phase between the Council and European Parliament. These trilogue discussions will determine the precise scanning requirements, implementation timelines, and oversight mechanisms that will govern how platforms detect and report child sexual abuse material. The European Parliament has historically shown greater sensitivity to privacy concerns, suggesting challenging negotiations ahead.

The specific obligations for communication service providers remain to be finalized, including technical standards for detection, data retention policies, and reporting protocols. Industry stakeholders will be closely monitoring these developments, as the requirements could significantly impact platform operations and compliance costs. The legislation’s ultimate shape will determine how broadly scanning technologies are deployed across EU digital infrastructure.

Privacy organizations continue to voice strong opposition, arguing that even with voluntary elements, the framework establishes dangerous precedents for mass surveillance. They warn that scanning technologies could be expanded beyond child protection purposes once implemented, creating infrastructure that could be repurposed for broader content monitoring. As the legislation moves forward, these concerns are likely to feature prominently in parliamentary debates and public discourse.