European Union lawmakers backed a proposal to reinstate temporary rules allowing Google, Meta Platforms, and other online platforms to continue detecting, reporting, and removing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from their services.
However, legislators voted to exempt end-to-end encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal from the rules, citing concerns that scanning private communications could undermine user privacy and encryption.
The move highlights the ongoing divide between advocates of stronger online child protection measures and privacy campaigners who argue that mandatory content detection on encrypted platforms could pave the way for mass surveillance.
The temporary framework, originally introduced in 2021 and valid until April this year, created an exemption from the EU's strict ePrivacy rules, enabling online platforms to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse content while policymakers worked on a permanent legislative solution. With negotiations over long-term rules still unresolved, lawmakers have now voted to restore the interim framework to prevent a regulatory gap.
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Marketa Gregorova, a member of the Pirate Party in the European Parliament, welcomed the decision to preserve encryption protections while extending the temporary rules.
"Ensuring the protection of encryption was a key focus for us, and I am pleased that we achieved an overwhelming majority for an amendment that at least maintains encryption," Gregorova says.
The proposal will now be reviewed by EU member states, which have three months to decide whether to endorse the Parliament's amendments.
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The European Commission first proposed comprehensive legislation on combating child sexual abuse material in 2022. However, negotiations have stalled amid disagreements over whether messaging services should be required to scan encrypted communications for known and newly identified abuse material and signs of online grooming.
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Major technology companies have opposed mandatory detection requirements for messaging platforms, app stores, and internet service providers, arguing that such measures would weaken encryption, compromise user privacy, and create significant security risks.