Overview
- Lawmakers approved a rarely used urgent procedure on Tuesday to fast-track a fresh plenary vote that will decide whether the temporary ePrivacy exemption allowing private-message scanning returns.
- The expedited route sets a binding vote for Thursday and requires opponents to muster an absolute majority of 361 MEPs to reject or amend the Council text.
- EU member states separately agreed last month to restore an interim version of the framework that would allow service providers to detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse material until 2028.
- Critics and technical experts warn the measure could force client-side scanning, a method that inspects content on users’ devices before encryption and that INATBA and others say could expose crypto wallet seed phrases, session keys, or MPC shares.
- Many platforms have continued voluntary CSAM detection since the legal basis expired in April, but a parliamentary vote to reinstate the derogation could compel technical changes or service restrictions for Web3 projects and increase legal and security burdens for developers.