EU member state representatives have reached a common position on the regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, also known as ’chat control’. The Council agreement, announced this Wednesday, outlines a framework of obligations for online service providers, including measures to prevent the dissemination of child sexual abuse material and the solicitation of children.
The text also confirms the creation of a new EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse, which will support national authorities and platforms in implementing the law.
Voluntary scanning extended
One significant provision is the permanent extension of voluntary scanning. A temporary measure that was first introduced in 2021. Under the current rules, companies can voluntarily scan for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) without violating EU privacy laws. That exemption was set to expire in April 2026, but the Council now wants to keep it indefinitely.
After a series of abrupt turns in the Council’s internal negotiations, member states backed a text that removes mandatory scanning requirements. Instead, the focus shifts to strengthened risk assessment and mitigation obligations for online service providers. Platforms will have to evaluate how their services could be misused and apply measures to reduce those risks. For example, abuse-reporting tools or restrictions on how content is shared.
I’m glad that the member states have finally agreed on a way forward. – Peter Hummelgaard, Danish Justice Minister
The text introduces a three-tier system to classify online services according to their risk of being misused. Platforms will be designated as low-, medium- or high-risk. This classification determines the level of regulatory scrutiny they face.
New EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse
A key component of the proposal is the creation of a new EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse. It will act as a hub for CSAM detection, reporting, and database management. The Centre will receive reports from providers, assess risk levels across platforms, and maintain a database of CSAM indicators.
The EU Centre will also share information from companies with Europol and national law enforcement bodies. It will operate databases of CSAM indicators and support authorities in assessing the risk that online services could be used to spread abuse material.
You might be interested
Denmark celebrates breakthrough
Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard welcomed the Council’s agreement, describing the spread of child sexual abuse material as “completely unacceptable”. “Every year, millions of files are shared that depict the sexual abuse of children. And behind every single image and video, there is a child who has been subjected to the most horrific and terrible abuse”, Hummelgaard said. “I’m glad that the member states have finally agreed on a way forward”.
Every year, millions of files are shared that depict the sexual abuse of children. I’m glad that the member states have finally agreed on a way forward. – Peter Hummelgaard, Danish Justice Minister
The breakthrough comes after months of stalled negotiations and a postponed vote in October. There Germany joined a blocking minority opposing what critics commonly refer to as “chat control”. At the time, Berlin argued that the proposal risked “the unwarranted monitoring of chats”, comparing it to opening letters from other correspondents.
The Council’s position now allows trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament to start.
