MEPs reject mass scanning of private chats

EU chat control: from the Council's mandate to Parliament's pushback

On 26 November, behind closed doors, EU governments approved a new negotiating mandate for the Child Sensual Abuse Regulation, known as chat control. The measure, presented as a child protection tool, revives mass surveillance of private communications. But on 3 March 2026, the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) voted down the extension of the voluntary scanning regime (chat control 1.0) by 38 votes against, 28 in favour and 3 abstentions.

Negotiations in the dark and a vote that changes the script

The Council had given the green light to reopening talks on chat control 2.0, a system that initially aimed to scan all private messages for child sensual abuse material. Criticism of its potential for mass surveillance was immediate. Some voices claim that child protection is an excuse to destroy digital privacy. Others, a minority, argue it is a necessary evil to combat an appalling crime.

LIBE's blow and an uncertain future

LIBE's rejection of extending the voluntary regime came as an unexpected twist. The European Commission wanted to keep platforms' ability to scan chats voluntarily, but the committee considered that the risks to privacy outweigh the benefits. The vote revealed a split: the largest parties in Spain (PP and PSOE) supported the scanning, while most of the chamber sided with digital rights defenders.

The striking fact: despite the Commission's defeat, the voluntary regime remains in force since 2021. And the door is not closed: the Council already has its mandate; all that remains is for Parliament to rule on version 2.0. The fight over who controls your messages has only just begun.