EU Parliament's Procedural Maneuver Revives 'Chat Control 1.0' Despite Majority Opposition, Raising Privacy Concerns

On July 9, 2026, the European Parliament voted on extending a temporary derogation from ePrivacy rules, commonly known as Chat Control 1.0, allowing voluntary scanning of private messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on unencrypted services. Despite 314 MEPs voting to reject the measure—outnumbering the 276 votes in favor and 17 abstentions—the proposal passed because second-reading rules require an absolute majority of 361 votes out of 720 MEPs to reject or amend Council positions. This procedural threshold meant the law was adopted by default, extending the regime until April 2028. The vote followed an urgency procedure approved narrowly on July 7 (331-304), bypassing normal scrutiny after Parliament had rejected an extension in March 2026, leading to the prior expiration on April 3. Critics, including Greens/EFA negotiator Markéta Gregorová, highlighted the EPP's role in reviving the text and accused procedural abuse, noting that absent MEPs and abstentions effectively favored passage. Amendments exempting end-to-end encrypted services passed with 369 and 362 votes, though their practical impact is limited as providers cannot scan such content without breaking encryption. Official EU sources and reports from Euronews, The Register, and the European Parliament confirm these vote tallies and the second-reading mechanics. This episode connects to broader trends in digital policy, including ongoing negotiations on permanent Chat Control 2.0, where similar tensions over encryption and surveillance persist.