GoKawiilThe European Parliament cleared the way for a renewed extension of the so-called “Chat Control” on Tuesday afternoon. With a narrow majority of 331 to 304 votes and eleven abstentions, the MEPs voted for an urgency motion that Parliament President Roberta Metsola had put on the agenda at short notice at the behest of the member states and the EPP group. This allows Parliament to vote again on the controversial plan on Thursday, its last session before the summer break.
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The aim of this maneuver: to reinstate the transitional regulation for Chat Control, which expired in April. This exception regulation allowed tech giants like Meta, Google, or Microsoft to voluntarily search private chats, emails, and messenger services for material related to child sexual abuse without specific suspicion. Parliament had not agreed to a renewed extension, and the regulation had therefore expired in April.
The vote was preceded by a back-and-forth, with opponents calling it an unprecedented parliamentary maneuver. Pirate MEP Markéta Gregorová accused the conservative European People's Party (EPP) of engaging in a farce and violating its own rules of procedure. She appealed in vain to her colleagues to vote against Chat Control again. Metsola narrowly defended the procedure, stating she was adhering to all rules.
Social Democrats cave in
Supporters received backing through pressure from the EU Commission. Four Commissioners had urgently warned the people's representatives in a letter shortly before the vote about a continuing regulatory gap. Without the scans, perpetrators would not be held accountable, and almost all abuse material would remain undiscovered – even though Meta & Co. are currently still providing reports. Parliament could not go into the summer break like this, according to the EPP.
AfD MEP Mary Khan, on the other hand, complained that a law that had already been rejected was being revived through the back door using salami-tactics until the desired outcome was achieved. No one wants to weaken child protection, but that should not justify putting all citizens under general suspicion and legitimizing mass surveillance. In fact, Parliament had rejected a renewed extension of this Chat Control by a clear majority in March and April after failed negotiations with the EU member states.
The fact that the dossier is now landing in the plenary again at the urging of the governments and the Parliament President is also causing frustration among the negotiators. Rapporteur Birgit Sippel (SPD) spoke of an unfair maneuver by the EU countries and refused her support. Nevertheless, the Social Democratic group caved in beforehand and signaled its approval for the urgency procedure, which ensured the necessary majority.
Procedural tricks until the last session day
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