European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement on the Chat Control proposal, allowing voluntary scanning of private messages for child sexual abuse material. While this development is seen as a step forward, experts express concerns over potential risks to privacy and society.
The European Parliament and EU member states have finalized a revised version of the Chat Control bill, focusing on voluntary measures to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in private communications. This agreement marks a compromise after years of debate on balancing child protection with digital privacy rights.
Scientists and privacy advocates have welcomed the shift to voluntary scanning, as it avoids mandatory backdoors in encryption. However, they caution that certain elements of the bill remain problematic. As stated in the analysis, some aspects "still bring high risks to society without clear benefits for children."
The proposal now requires tech companies to offer optional detection tools for CSAM, without compelling users or breaking end-to-end encryption by default. This comes amid ongoing concerns about surveillance creep in the EU's digital policy landscape. The agreement was announced on November 26, 2025, reflecting a nuanced approach to online safety.