EU Extends Temporary Regulation Allowing Voluntary Scanning for Child Sexual Abuse Material
The European Union has renewed a temporary regulation that permits online platforms to voluntarily scan private messages to detect child sexual abuse material, extending it until April 2028.
The European Union has renewed the so-called “chat control” regulation, allowing online platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Gmail, and iCloud to voluntarily scan users’ private communications to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The measure will remain in effect until April 3, 2028.
Originally adopted in 2021 as a temporary solution, the regulation expired in April 2026. Since a permanent framework has not been agreed upon, EU institutions decided in July to extend the temporary rules. The regulation provides a derogation from the ePrivacy Directive, enabling providers to process personal data for the specific purpose of identifying CSAM.
According to Maija Katkovska, head of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre, the volume of illegal content has surged dramatically: INHOPE reported 400,000 CSAM units in 2022, rising to 3.2 million in 2025. Latvia’s hotline has received 22,795 reports since 2022. The State Police also emphasize that information from platforms is crucial for rapid intervention and rescuing victims.
The renewed regulation clarifies that it does not ban encryption or apply to voice calls. If a platform chooses to scan messages, it must use the least privacy-intrusive technology and cannot systematically filter all content—only search for specific indicators of potential abuse. Users have the right to complain if their content is wrongly removed or reported.
