The European Union is reviving the Chat Control 1.0 law after its legal expiry on April 4, 2026, while negotiations continue on the permanent Chat Control 2.0 regulation. Chat Control 1.0, formally Regulation (EU) 2021/1232, temporarily allowed providers to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) but expired after the European Parliament refused to extend it. The Council is now fast-tracking a revival with a new law containing identical provisions, according to fightchatcontrol.eu.
Chat Control 1.0 was a temporary derogation from the ePrivacy Directive that permitted, but did not mandate, scanning of private messages by providers, mainly unencrypted US services such as Gmail, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Snapchat, iCloud Mail, and Xbox. Importantly, it did not apply to end-to-end encrypted communications, although client-side scanning could be deployed. Meanwhile, Chat Control 2.0, a proposed permanent regulation known as the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), remains under trilogue negotiations without agreement.
The revival of Chat Control 1.0 underscores the EU's urgency in addressing child sexual abuse material online while the permanent framework is still being debated. The temporary law's voluntary scanning approach contrasts with Chat Control 2.0’s intent to make detection and reporting of CSAM a legal obligation for providers. The ongoing discussions reflect tensions between privacy advocates and regulators aiming to enhance child protection measures across digital platforms.
The Council’s effort to fast-track the revival of Chat Control 1.0 marks an unprecedented legislative move, as the law expired three months ago. The permanent Chat Control 2.0 regulation is still pending finalization, with no agreement reached in trilogue talks as of early July 2026, according to fightchatcontrol.eu.