EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner has signaled support for the European Parliament’s targeted approach to scanning for child sexual abuse material, while dismissing the controversial nickname “Chat Control.” Brunner reiterated his commitment to the original Commission proposal but favoured the Parliament’s stance over the Council’s push for voluntary, indiscriminate scanning. He emphasized that the effort is about protecting children, not mass surveillance. The debate continues as trilogue negotiations approach, with several member states opposing the measure and privacy advocates warning of potential rights infringements. Read more →

The EU Council has reached a compromise on the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, allowing messaging services to choose whether to scan all user chats for illegal content. While the change preserves end‑to‑end encryption by removing a mandatory backdoor, the text still permits forced scanning for services deemed “high‑risk” and introduces privacy‑sensitive age‑verification requirements. Privacy experts warn that the “voluntary” model may still enable mass surveillance and censorship, and they urge the European Parliament and Commission to resist any erosion of digital rights. The agreement now moves to trilogue negotiations, with a final adoption expected next year. Read more →

The European Union Council has reached an agreement on the contentious Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, keeping a provision for voluntary scanning of private chats by messaging providers. The compromise, driven by the Danish presidency, aims to balance the fight against child sexual abuse material with concerns over digital privacy and encryption. The Council now moves toward trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament, while privacy advocates continue to warn of potential risks to fundamental rights. Read more →

The European Union Council received a revised Child Sexual Abuse Regulation proposal that shifts mandatory content scanning to a voluntary model, with limited exceptions for high‑risk services. While the change garnered broad support among lawmakers, privacy advocates, including digital‑rights jurist Patrick Breyer and encrypted‑email provider Tuta, warn that loopholes could undermine the voluntary nature and threaten encryption. The debate continues as member states that previously opposed indiscriminate scanning watch the next steps closely. Read more →

Germany has announced it will not support the EU's Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, commonly known as "Chat Control," which would require mandatory scanning of private messages for illegal content. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig emphasized that random monitoring must remain taboo in a constitutional state, calling the move a major victory for digital privacy. The decision follows weeks of mixed signals and pressure from various ministries. Privacy advocates, including former Pirate Party MEP Patrick Breyer, hailed the rejection, while officials warned the fight against child exploitation will continue. The EU Council is set to meet with the Justice Minister to determine the proposal's future. Read more →

More than 40 European technology firms, including VPN and encrypted messaging providers, have signed an open letter urging EU lawmakers to vote against the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, commonly known as Chat Control. The companies argue that mandatory client‑side scanning of private communications would undermine encryption, weaken digital security and threaten Europe’s digital sovereignty. They warn that the proposal could create backdoors exploitable by governments and malicious actors. German ministries are reportedly meeting to decide the country’s stance, a pivotal factor in the upcoming EU vote. Read more →