An EU Commission proposal, opens new tab to reinstate a measure that exempts some online platforms from strict privacy rules so they can voluntarily identify, report, and remove child sexual abuse material has been misleadingly described on social media as legislation that would greenlight the bloc itself to scan people’s chats.
Here are the key details:
- A July 9 post, opens new tab said: “The EU will start monitoring people’s private chats,” and referred to the European Parliament’s vote that day which backed reinstating interim rules that lapsed in April.
- The proposed regulation says, opens new tab providers of webmail and online messaging services, not EU institutions, can use specific technologies to detect child sexual abuse materials on their platforms.
- The European Data Protection Supervisor told Reuters that the rules would not allow for EU institutions or authorities themselves to scan private communications.
- In its July 9 vote, the EU Parliament also backed amendments, opens new tab to exclude end-to-end encryption communications such as WhatsApp and Telegram from a reinstated regulation.
- The Council of the EU, which consists of government ministers from EU member states, now has three months to approve or reject.
- The European Parliament Press Service said the derogation would be reinstated if the Council accepts, or else Parliament and the Council will enter conciliation.
- Verdict: Missing context. The proposal would allow some online services, not EU institutions, to scan for child sexual abuse materials on their platforms.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
