The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties (LIBE) Committee rejected a draft report on Monday seeking to amend and prolong the temporary derogation that allows online platforms to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse material in private communications. The vote blocks, for now, the proposed second extension of what critics commonly refer to as “Chat Control 1.0”.
The outcome appeared to catch the room off guard, with exclamations of surprise echoing in the chamber. Even the committee chair, Javier Zarzalejos, briefly paused after announcing the result, checked the vote and read it out again, suggesting the rejection had not been widely anticipated.
The vote prevents the file from moving into interinstitutional negotiations at this stage.
The file would have extended the legal basis permitting companies to scan private messages, emails and social media communications for child sexual abuse material. The Commission proposal foresaw prolonging the current regime, which expires in April 2026, by one additional year, until April 2027. This would happen while negotiations on the file, which was originally meant to replace the temporary derogation by a permanent one, continue.
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Instead, the committee voted down the draft report by 38 votes to 28, with three abstentions. Members of the Socialists & Democrats largely supported the extension, joined by parts of Renew Europe, the European Conservatives and Reformists, and Patriots for Europe. Opposition came from a broad coalition spanning the European People’s Party, Greens/EFA, The Left, Europe of Sovereign Nations, several Renew members and non-attached MEPs. Three members, from ECR, ESN and PfE, abstained
Civil society: “Rule out mass snooping”
Civil society organisations have recently stepped up pressure to prevent a further prolongation. Last week, in an open letter, 39 organisations, including EDRi, Statewatch and CDT Europe, urged MEPs to reject any extension unless it clearly rules out indiscriminate scanning and introduces stricter safeguards.
The signatories argue that the derogation effectively suspends the confidentiality of communications guaranteed under EU law. Besides, they believe it risks normalising large-scale monitoring of private exchanges. The letter cites the Commission’s latest implementation report. It notes that only 0.000002735% of globally scanned content was confirmed as CSAM. Among those values, an even smaller proportion originates from the EU. It also points to reported error rates ranging between 13% and 20% for certain detection technologies.
#StopScanningMe
Activists amplified the pressure campaign ahead of the vote. Digital rights advocate and former MEP Patrick Breyer called on citizens to contact LIBE members and urge them to oppose what he described as mass message scanning, using the hashtag #StopScanningMe.
For critics of the extension, allowing the interim derogation to continue until 2027 would entrench voluntary mass scanning as the default model during trialogue negotiations. On the other side, supporters argue that letting the legal basis lapse before a permanent framework is in place would create a gap in child protection efforts.
Trialogues ahead
While LIBE’s rejection concerns the interim derogation, negotiations are already well underway. A third trilogue is scheduled for 4 May 2026, followed by a fourth and expected final negotiation on 29 June 2026. If political agreement is reached, formal adoption by Parliament and Council is currently expected in July 2026.
Major platforms have relied on the derogation to continue voluntary child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detection practices that might otherwise conflict with EU confidentiality of communications rules since 2021. Without an extension, providers face increasing legal uncertainty as the current regime approaches its expiry in August 2026, unless a new proposal is tabled or negotiations on the broader regulation are accelerated — a prospect that remains politically contentious given divisions within Parliament over the balance between child protection measures and fundamental rights safeguards.
