The EU’s efforts to implement so-called “chat control” in the fight against sexual violence against children have failed for the time being – a vote planned for today has been cancelled. The reason for this is apparently also Germany’s resistance.
Negotiations between EU states on the controversial so-called “chat control” in the fight against the depiction of sexual violence against children on the Internet have failed for the time being, partly due to German concerns. It became apparent that a sufficient majority would not be achieved, said the Belgian Council Presidency. The Presidency therefore decided to remove the item from the agenda.
Mass search of communications
The basis for the plans is a proposal by the EU Commission, according to which providers such as Google or Facebook can, under certain circumstances, be required to use software to search their services for images of child abuse. This had already been adjusted with compromise proposals. However, critics repeatedly spoke of “chat control” and fear mass surveillance.
Recently, it had looked as if at least a provisional agreement on chat control was possible in Brussels, which is why a vote by the permanent representatives of the member states was planned for Thursday. The background to this was concessions to France, which had previously prevented the EU decision together with Germany and other countries. At short notice, however, it was said that the necessary majority was not in sight.
Rejection of Federal Government prevents voting
The issue is not off the table: For the member states, protecting children from “disgusting crimes” remains a priority, said Belgium, which will chair the Council of Ministers until the end of the month. The dossier is now likely to end up with Hungary, which will take over the rotating EU Council Presidency on July 1.
Hungary could then try again to reach an agreement between the EU states. The countries would then have to negotiate the final text of the law with Parliament and the Commission before the new rules could come into force.
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann viewed the cancellation of the vote planned for today as a success for the federal government’s efforts. The FDP politician said he was pleased “that my concerns about the rule of law have fallen on fertile ground.”
It is good that the federal government is speaking with one voice on this issue and is jointly positioning itself against the random and mass scanning – even encrypted – of private communications and data in the cloud.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior said it was assumed that the vote had been cancelled due to German resistance. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser had announced on Wednesday that Germany would vote against the Commission’s proposal in its current form.
Open letter against the project
Data protection advocates see the legislative plans as a general suspicion against citizens. In March, the Federal Data Protection Commissioner Ulrich Kelber appealed to the federal government to prevent the EU plans. Kelber demanded that “comprehensive and unprovoked reading of private communications” be banned.
Earlier this week, 36 politicians from Europe also appealed to the EU member states in an open letter to vote against the plans.
The paper said that it was convinced that the proposed measures were incompatible with European fundamental rights. The signatories included FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and Konstantin von Notz from the Greens.