New EU proposal for chat control is likely to come within a month

There will be a new proposal within a month for the detection of child abuse material by tech services in the EU. The bill, nicknamed chat control, has failed several times. The content of the proposal is not yet known.

EU President Cyprus would like to come up with a proposal quickly, says Minister David van Weel of Security and Justice. "The current Cypriot presidency hopes to soon come up with a compromise proposal on this subject that will be submitted to the three parties; the cabinet will then consider it," said van Weel. Cyprus will hold the presidency of the European Union until the end of this month.

For years, tech companies voluntarily checked for child abuse material and this was anchored in a temporary European rule. That rule expired in April, after which in principle checking chat messages for child abuse material is no longer permitted. The companies, such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, continue with it, on the assumption that it will be allowed or even mandatory at some point.

Chat control has been a hot topic in the European Union for years. Proponents believe that it will prevent the spread of child abuse material and therefore want companies to be obliged to check chats and files. Opponents believe that the control does not have much effect and say that the chat control goes against civil rights and the right to privacy.

The exact content of the Cyprus compromise is not yet known, nor whether chat control will be mandatory. A possible proposal will probably be voted on in the European Parliament this summer.