The European Parliament on Thursday voted against extending temporary rules that allow tech companies to scan private communications for child sexual abuse material, dealing a setback to efforts backed by the European Commission.
A total of 311 EU lawmakers voted against the proposal by the European Commission to extend the rules, while 228 voted in favor and 92 abstained.
The current legislation, often referred to as chat control, is set to expire on April 3.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the decision, saying he was deeply disappointed that voluntary chat checks by online platforms would no longer be possible.
"This is a serious setback for the protection of our children," the German leader said after talks with the eastern German state premiers on Thursday.
The decision "makes things even more difficult now," he said, adding that efforts would now be made to find a solution at the national level, with Family Minister Karin Prien working on proposals.
"I hope we will reach a political decision in the cabinet before the summer recess," the chancellor announced.
Kerry Smith, the head the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating child sexual abuse online, called the vote "a devastating failure."
The decision will have implications beyond the European Union, "as proven tools for the detection of child sexual abuse material will be forced offline," he said.
"Every day without detection means more harm for children, more victims and more abuse images and videos circulating online."
Ahead of the vote, the commission had urged lawmakers to support an extension, warning of serious consequences if they lapse.
In a letter seen by dpa, four EU commissioners called on members of the European Parliament to back prolonging the current framework. Failure to do so would lead to fewer detections, fewer reports to law enforcement and greater impunity for offenders, they said.
The protection of children, not perpetrators, must remain the guiding principle of EU action, commissioners Henna Virkkunen, Magnus Brunner, Michael McGrath and Glenn Micallef wrote.
The measures currently permit platforms such as Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft and Snapchat to scan communications to identify and report illegal content.
The approach remained controversial amid data protection concerns. Some lawmakers said they would only support an extension if surveillance powers are significantly limited, for example, to known material and existing suspicions.
Two images or videos of child sexual abuse are shared online every second, the commissioners said, with Europe at the centre of the problem.
According to the IWF, the EU hosts more child sexual abuse material than any other region in the world.
