Major technology companies are calling on the European Union to extend legal provisions that allow voluntary scanning of private messages for child sexual abuse material, following the expiration of an existing framework, according to a joint statement.
Companies including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Snap said the lapse of the legal basis for such monitoring has created uncertainty around their ability to continue detecting and reporting harmful content. The previous arrangement, which permitted voluntary scanning under a temporary derogation of EU privacy rules, expired on April 3, 2026, after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on its extension.
The companies stated that they want to continue efforts to identify and report child sexual abuse material on their platforms. In their statement, they said the absence of a legal framework affects “responsible platforms” that have been using these systems to detect abuse and assist authorities.
The issue is part of ongoing discussions around proposed EU legislation commonly referred to as “chat control,” which would introduce rules for monitoring online communications. The proposal has been under negotiation for several years, with disagreements between EU institutions and member states preventing a final agreement.
The European Commission has previously proposed measures that could involve scanning messages before encryption, also known as client-side scanning. These proposals are intended to address the distribution of child sexual abuse material, although they have not yet been adopted in a final form.
The failure to extend the interim legal framework followed a lack of compromise between the European Parliament and member states. Some member states supported maintaining monitoring capabilities, while lawmakers in the European Parliament declined to approve an extension without further agreement on safeguards and scope.
Technology companies said they are seeking a resolution that would provide legal clarity and allow continued operation of existing detection systems while broader legislation is finalized. They called on EU institutions to conclude negotiations on a regulatory framework that would define how such monitoring can be conducted.
The discussions remain ongoing, with EU institutions considering possible interim solutions and longer-term legislation governing the detection of illegal content in private communications.