EU Council Approves New “Chat Control” Mandate
European governments have taken another step toward reviving the EU’s controversial Chat Control agenda, approving a new negotiating mandate for the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation in a closed session of the Council of the European Union on November 26.
The measure, presented as a tool for child protection, is once again drawing heavy criticism for its surveillance implications and the way it reshapes private digital communication in Europe.
Unlike earlier drafts, this version drops the explicit obligation for companies to scan all private messages but quietly introduces what opponents describe as an indirect system of pressure.
It rewards or penalizes online services depending on whether they agree to carry out “voluntary” scanning, effectively making intrusive monitoring a business expectation rather than a legal requirement.
[…]
He warned that the framework also brings “anonymity-breaking age checks” that will turn ordinary online use into an exercise in identity verification.
It’s unclear to me whether iMessage’s existing Communication Safety features are compliant or whether Apple would have to add more aggressive scanning.
Previously:
- Imgur Blocks UK Users Over Age Verification
- Complying With Texas Age Verification
- Proposed EU Chat Control
- Apple Abandons CSAM Scanning
- Revised Messages Communication Safety Feature in iOS 15.2
