EU Parliament committee vote stalls temporary CSAM scanning law extension
The European Parliament’s civil liberties committee has failed to secure majority support for its draft report on extending a temporary EU privacy law derogation. This derogation allows tech companies to voluntarily scan their services for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), a critical step in combating online abuse. The committee’s inability to adopt the amended text means the issue will now move to the plenary session as the deadline for adoption approaches.
The proposed extension aimed to reduce the scope of the law and limit the duration to one year, compared to the two years suggested by the European Commission. The current temporary chat-scanning rules are set to expire in April 2026. These rules were initially introduced as a temporary measure to address the spread of CSAM while a permanent EU regulation was being developed. The temporary framework has already been extended twice since 2021 due to delays in finalizing the permanent regulation.
Trilogue negotiations on the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation have recently begun, with the Cyprus Council presidency targeting a conclusion by July 2026. However, to maintain the temporary extension before the April deadline, both Parliament and Council must finalize the deal within a very tight timeframe. The Council has already approved the Commission’s proposal without amendments, but the Parliament’s recent vote has cast uncertainty over the schedule.
If no agreement is reached by April, the existing rules will expire, leaving companies without a legal basis to scan online services for CSAM. The Parliament plans to hold a plenary vote during the week of March 9–12, where political groups will have the opportunity to propose further amendments. This ongoing uncertainty highlights the challenges in balancing privacy rights with the urgent need to combat online child abuse.
