The European Parliament is preparing for another vote on one of the most controversial pieces of digital legislation in recent years, a proposal critics have labeled "chat control" because of its potential impact on private online communications.
At the center of the debate is a temporary legal framework that would continue allowing technology companies to voluntarily scan users' communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Supporters argue the measure gives online platforms important tools to identify and report abuse. Opponents warn it comes at the cost of digital privacy and could weaken protections for encrypted messaging.
The vote comes after an earlier attempt failed in March.
At that time, the European Parliament rejected the European Commission's proposal to extend a legal framework that had allowed platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to voluntarily detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse material despite the European Union's e-privacy rules. The proposal was defeated by a vote of 311 against, 228 in favor, with 92 abstentions.
That legal framework expired on April 3, leaving lawmakers searching for a replacement while broader negotiations over permanent legislation continue.
Rather than abandoning the effort, the European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, revived the temporary extension using a legislative procedure that is rarely employed in EU lawmaking.
According to Euronews, the EPP opposed the March version because lawmakers had adopted amendments introduced by Socialist rapporteur Birgit Sippel and other left-leaning members that narrowed the scope of the proposed scanning powers. The center-right group instead favored extending the existing rules without substantive changes.
EPP leader Manfred Weber reportedly pushed for that outcome.
According to people familiar with the matter cited by Euronews, the EPP asked Parliament President Roberta Metsola on June 17 to move the interim legislation forward under an alternative procedure. No parliamentary group formally objected to the request.
The following day, Metsola urged European Union leaders to move ahead with the legislation during the EU summit. Member states later agreed to reinstate the temporary framework, which would permit online service providers to continue voluntarily detecting, reporting, and removing child sexual abuse material through 2028.
The legislation must still receive Parliament's approval before taking effect.
What makes this week's vote especially significant is the procedure governing it.
Under the ordinary legislative procedure being used, the proposal is considered adopted unless an absolute majority of all Members of the European Parliament—at least 361 lawmakers—vote to reject or amend it. That threshold differs from the March vote and gives supporters of the extension a procedural advantage.
Critics argue that the maneuver changes the political landscape surrounding the legislation as much as the proposal itself.
Greens/EFA lawmaker Ignazio Marino sharply criticized the measure, arguing that protecting children should not require scanning the communications of millions of law-abiding users.
"Children are protected by smart enforcement, not by scanning the private messages of millions of innocent people," Marino told Euronews, describing the proposal as a form of "mass surveillance."
Fellow Greens lawmaker Markéta Gregorová also criticized the legislative strategy used to bring the proposal back before Parliament.
"Usually, when the Parliament rejects a text, the Council stops working on it and the Commission eventually withdraws it. Now, we are forced into a second vote that questions the essence of democracy," Gregorová told Euronews.
Supporters of the legislation, however, maintain that extending the temporary framework ensures technology companies can continue identifying and reporting child sexual abuse material while negotiations continue over a permanent legal framework.
Before the final vote can take place, Parliament must first approve the EPP's request for an expedited procedure. If lawmakers agree to fast-track the measure, the decisive vote on the extension is scheduled for Thursday.
The outcome will determine whether the temporary scanning framework returns for another three years, while the broader battle over encryption, privacy, and online child protection continues across the European Union.