The European Parliament has allowed the suspicionless mass scanning of private communications to pass, despite a majority of voting Members of the European Parliament opposing the regulation [1]. The motion to reject it failed to secure the required absolute majority of 361 votes, with 314 votes against, 276 in favor, and 17 abstentions. Dr. Patrick Breyer, civil rights activist and former Member of the European Parliament, warns of the consequences, stating that 'our children lose out' in this undemocratic process [2].

The passage of Chat Control 1.0 permits US tech companies to scan private messages without a warrant or prior suspicion until 2028. A symbolic exemption was adopted for encrypted communications, but this does not change the fact that mass scanning is now permitted again [3]. The EU Commission admits that there is no evidence that suspicionless scanning of private communications has led to an increase in criminal convictions or in rescued children [4]. The German Federal Criminal Police Office reports that 48 percent of all incoming alerts are not criminally relevant, and crime statistics reveal that 40 percent of the resulting investigations actually target minors themselves [5].

Despite the legislative defeat, Breyer remains defiant regarding the upcoming negotiations, stating that 'today's vote on the interim regulation was a setback, but the political battle over the permanent 'Chat Control 2.0' is just getting started' [6]. The resistance seen in Parliament today was strong, and finding a majority for permanent, suspicionless mass scanning in future negotiations is a complete pipe dream [7]. Breyer fundamentally rejects the mass surveillance approach, stating that 'trying to protect children with suspicionless mass surveillance is like frantically mopping the floor while the faucet is still running' [8].

Sources

  1. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/
  2. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/
  3. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/
  4. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0740
  5. https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/JahresberichteUndLagebilder/SexualdeliktezNvKindernuJugendlichen/BLBSexualdeliktezNvKindernuJugendlichen2024.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2
  6. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/
  7. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/
  8. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/eu-parliament-greenlights-chat-control-1-0-breyer-our-children-lose-out/