Why did the European Parliament extend the chat scanning law until 2028?

The European Parliament extended the chat scanning law until 2028 to allow technology companies to continue detecting child sexual abuse material. Supporters said the temporary extension helps protect children while a permanent law is negotiated.

What are the new rules for end-to-end encrypted messages?

The European Parliament approved an exemption for messages protected by end-to-end encryption. This means communications using end-to-end encryption are excluded from the scanning rules.

How did the European Parliament vote on the chat scanning law?

The European Parliament failed to block the extension because only 314 lawmakers voted against it, below the 361 votes needed. A total of 276 lawmakers supported extending the law.

What does the Council of the European Union do next?

The Council of the European Union will review the amended legislation and decide whether to approve or reject it. The law cannot take effect without completing the remaining legislative process.

What is Chat Control 2.0 and when will negotiations resume?

Chat Control 2.0 is the proposed permanent version of the European Parliament's message scanning law. Lawmakers are expected to resume negotiations in September to decide how future scanning rules should work.

Technology

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EU extends chat scanning law until 2028

Written by Brie CarterPublished Jul 10, 2026, 6:34 AM

The European Parliament has approved a law allowing tech firms to scan messages for child abuse material until 2028.
End-to-end encrypted messages are exempt from the scanning rules.
Lawmakers will now negotiate a permanent version of the legislation later this year.

The European Parliament has approved a law allowing technology companies to scan messages for child sexual abuse material until 2028.

Lawmakers failed to block the measure, with only 314 voting against it, below the 361 votes needed to stop the extension.

The law restores rules that expired in April but excludes messages protected by end-to-end encryption.

“Protecting encryption was one of our priorities, and I am therefore glad that we managed to secure an absolute majority for an amendment that at least preserves encryption,” said Pirate Party lawmaker Markéta Gregorová.

Supporters said the law helps protect children, while critics argued it still allows large-scale scanning of private communications.

The amended legislation will now return to the Council of the European Union for approval or rejection.

Lawmakers are expected to resume negotiations in September on a permanent version of the proposal, known as "Chat Control 2.0".