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EU Revives Voluntary CSAM Scanning
Coverage from Electronic Frontier Foundation, SMEX, and others
The European Parliament has moved from rejecting an extension of temporary CSAM-scanning rules to approving renewed legal cover for voluntary platform scanning through 2028.
The measure keeps a broader dispute alive over whether private companies should inspect communications to detect abuse material, how such activity should be supervised, and whether future legislation could reach encrypted services. Supporters emphasize child protection and investigative leads, while privacy and technical groups argue that blanket scanning lacks proven effectiveness, creates error risks, and weakens fundamental rights.
The key change is procedural: after earlier rejection, the European Parliament now approved a renewed temporary legal basis for voluntary CSAM scanning through 2028. The story also sharpens around the unresolved permanent framework, especially debates over encryption, oversight, and whether any future rules should remain targeted.
The key change is procedural reversal: the EU first rejected extending the temporary CSAM-scanning framework, then restored it through 2028. At the same time, the permanent Chat Control fight is now described as more stalled and specific, with fresh fault lines around targeted warrants, age verification, risk mitigation, and encryption.