The European Parliament has approved a controversial extension of the so-called “Chat Control” measures in a move widely criticized as a disturbing subversion of democratic norms. On July 9, 2026, lawmakers greenlit the temporary regime despite a clear majority of those present voting against it, thanks to a procedural maneuver executed just before the summer recess.

The bill in question – officially a temporary derogation from EU ePrivacy rules, dubbed Chat Control 1.0 – allows online platforms to voluntarily scan users’ private text messages, emails, photos, and other communications for known child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Platforms can use hashing technology to detect and report suspected illegal content. Proponents frame it as a vital tool to combat online child exploitation. Critics, however, describe it as automated mass surveillance that treats every citizen as a potential suspect, operates without warrants or individualized suspicion, and risks flooding authorities with false positives that harass innocent people while wasting police resources.

The passage relied on two key procedural steps that have sparked outrage. First, on July 7, Parliament narrowly approved an urgency procedure (331-303) that bypassed the usual committee review process and fast-tracked the file directly to a plenary vote. Then, in the decisive second-reading vote on July 9, opponents needed an absolute majority of all 720 Members of the European Parliament — 361 votes — to block or amend the measure. While roughly 314 MEPs voted to reject the extension and a majority of those present opposed it, the high bar was not reached because many lawmakers had already left for vacation. The proposal therefore passed by default and will keep the scanning regime in place until April 3, 2028.

This outcome came after Parliament had already rejected extensions to the same measures in March 2026. The original temporary rules had expired on April 3. By using the urgency procedure and the second-reading absolute-majority requirement on the final days before recess, supporters effectively overrode both the previous democratic rejection and the will of the majority of MEPs still in the chamber. It is worth mentioning that the video of the political discussion on Youtube is not viewable in EU countries…

The extension applies mainly to services without strong end-to-end encryption or where providers retain access to content. It does not force scanning on fully encrypted platforms in its current form. Nevertheless, opponents warn that the infrastructure for automated scanning of private communications creates a dangerous precedent that could later expand to other categories of content, such as political speech or “disinformation.”

The decision now heads to the EU Council for formal approval. Meanwhile, the more expansive permanent version – often called Chat Control 2.0 – remains stalled amid deep divisions over privacy and encryption.

The episode has intensified accusations that EU institutions are willing to bend their own rules and democratic processes when convenient, raising serious questions about accountability and the rule of law in Brussels.