October 24, 2023
The European Union (EU) Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), also known as “chat control,” has been postponed for the second time. The vote, originally scheduled for October 19th, has been delayed due to deep-seated disagreements among EU member states.
A small coalition of EU states, including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Estonia, and Slovenia, vehemently opposes the current draft of the CSAR. They argue that the proposed measures are disproportionate and potentially illegal, and that they would violate fundamental rights.
The EU Parliament’s Scientific Service legal experts have concluded that the proposal would violate fundamental rights, and privacy advocates have warned that it would create a surveillance state. However, not all EU states are in agreement. Poland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have called for changes to the law, while nine other states advocate adopting the common position promptly.
The CSAR debate has revealed deep-seated divisions within the EU, particularly regarding client-side scanning, chat control, and encryption. These divisions make it unlikely that the regulation will be passed in its current form.
The EU Commission has defended the proposal, insisting that chats can be protected and scanned simultaneously, but they have not provided concrete evidence of how this can be achieved. The draft law also contains provisions that make it clear that chat control is a surveillance tool, raising concerns about privacy and confidentiality.
The sources for this piece include an article in Tutanota.
