No breakthrough in European negotiations on “chat control”

The ambassadors of the 27 member states of the European Union are once again discussing a three-year-old proposal from the European Commission aimed at combating the online distribution of child abuse images. The proposal is controversial because, according to opponents, it would lead to a form of “chat control” where private messages on chat services are screened before being encrypted.

The Danish EU presidency is confident that there are sufficient guarantees. Only after a decision from a judicial authority can a chat service be required to screen users’ messages before they are sent and encrypted. The system then searches for images of child sexual abuse that are already in databases. Text messages are not reviewed.

Nevertheless, the hoped-for breakthrough did not occur this week. Still, not enough member states can support the proposal. There was keen interest in Germany’s position, but the government in Berlin has not yet been able to adopt a unified stance. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig made it clear that “chat control without cause must be taboo in a rule of law.”

Belgium also has no position yet, acknowledged Interior Minister Bernard Quintin on Wednesday in the Belgian parliament. He emphasized that there must be a balance between privacy protection on one hand and the fight against the distribution of such images on the other. “A solution must be balanced and proportional,” he stated.

Notably, every party that intervened in the debate in the Belgian parliament – from far left to far right – opposes the proposal.