European Parliament revives voluntary chat scanning with encryption carve-out

The legislative move, dubbed "Chat Control 1.0" by detractors, narrowly advanced after opponents failed to secure the absolute majority of 361 votes required to block the Council’s position. Despite 314 lawmakers voting to reject the proposal, the legislative machinery pushed the framework forward, granting platforms legal grounds to monitor, remove, and report suspicious content. The measure functions as a stopgap until a permanent, more comprehensive regulation—known as "Chat Control 2.0"—is finalized in future negotiations.

Privacy advocates and the crypto industry remain wary of the implications for device security. While the amendment explicitly protects end-to-end encrypted chats, concerns persist regarding client-side scanning tools that inspect files and messages on a device before encryption occurs. The International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications warned that such intrusive software could inadvertently expose sensitive data, including wallet seed phrases and private keys. Pirate Party lawmaker Markéta Gregorová characterized the vote as a "bittersweet victory," noting that while the protection of encryption was a significant win, the broader authorization of mass scanning remains a troubling precedent for digital privacy.