Chat Control Secria

Has Chat Control passed?

No. Chat Control is the nickname for a proposed EU law against online child sexual abuse, and negotiators have not yet agreed its rules on searching private messages.1, 2

The permanent regulation, file 2022/0155(COD)

  1. Commission proposal1
  2. Parliament position1
  3. Council mandate5
  4. Negotiations6 rounds so far, the latest on 29 Sep 20265
  5. Deal on detectionNot reached. Next round planned for December 20262
  6. Votes in Parliament and CouncilNot yet
  7. In forceNot yet

Meanwhile, temporary rules let some services scan voluntarily. They apply until 3 April 2028 and exclude end-to-end encrypted messages.3 The interim rules

Where the law is today, step by step. Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources.

What each text says about scanning

The final law has to bridge the Parliament's position and the Council's. The difference that matters most is whether a service can be ordered to search private messages.

TextOrdered scanningEnd-to-end encryption
Commission proposalMay 2022Yes: a court or independent authority could order a service to detect known or new abuse material or grooming.6No exception. Orders apply "regardless of the technologies used" by the provider.6
Parliament positionNovember 2023Yes, as a last resort.7Excluded from the scope of detection orders.7
Council mandateNovember 2025No. Detection orders removed; voluntary scanning made permanent; a review clause could bring orders back later.8, 9In September 2026 the Council presidency said end-to-end encrypted content would be excluded from searches.2
 As of 29 October 2026. The negotiators' texts are not final and can change.

This site describes a law in progress. It is not legal advice. How the scanning would work

Two laws people mix up

A temporary law already allows voluntary scanning. The permanent law, the one called Chat Control, is still being negotiated.

The temporary rules

An exception to EU privacy law that lets messaging and webmail services scan for abuse material if they choose to. They lapsed on 3 April 2026 after the Parliament rejected an extension.3, 10 Their replacement, published on 28 July 2026, applies until 3 April 2028 and does not cover end-to-end encrypted messages or audio.3, 4

In force today, and voluntary. The interim rules

The permanent regulation

Proposed in May 2022 to replace the temporary rules with a full framework: risk assessments, an EU Centre, removal and blocking orders, and rules on detection.1, 11 Most of it is provisionally agreed. Detection in private messages is not.2

Not law yet. What happens next

Read more

Timeline

Every key step from 2020 to today, dated and sourced.

How it would work

Hashes, classifiers, and why encryption is at the center of it.

Where each country stands

The one official per-country vote, and what governments have said on the record.

The interim rules

Chat Control 1.0: voluntary scanning, the 2026 gap and Regulation 2026/1881.

What happens next

What is agreed, what is open, and the steps left.

FAQ

Will WhatsApp be scanned? Does it cover email? Short answers.

Questions people ask

Is Chat Control law now?

No. The Parliament's Legislative Observatory lists the file as awaiting Parliament's first reading position, the stage before any final vote.1 The temporary rules on voluntary scanning are a separate, existing law.3

Why is it called Chat Control?

It is an informal name used mostly by critics. The official title is the "Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse".6

When will it be decided?

No date is set. The Council presidency planned a seventh round of negotiations, tentatively for December 2026.2 After any deal, both the Parliament and the Council still have to vote.

Will my encrypted chats be scanned?

The temporary rules in force today do not apply to end-to-end encrypted communications.3 What the permanent law will say is still being negotiated. More answers

Sources 11
  1. Procedure file 2022/0155(COD), Combating child sexual abuse online, European Parliament Legislative Observatory. Read 29 October 2026.
  2. WK 15082/2026, outcome of the 6th trilogue on 29 September 2026 and way forward, 30 September 2026, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.
  3. PE-CONS 14/1/26 REV 1, the signed text of Regulation (EU) 2026/1881, 24 July 2026, European Parliament and Council. Read 29 October 2026.
  4. Procedure file 2025/0429(COD), temporary derogation from the ePrivacy Directive, European Parliament Legislative Observatory. Read 29 October 2026.
  5. 13051/26, overview of current legislative proposals under the Irish Presidency, 29 September 2026, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.
  6. 9068/22, the Commission's proposal COM(2022) 209, recital 26, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.
  7. Summary of the LIBE committee report A9-0364/2023, 16 November 2023, European Parliament Legislative Observatory. Read 29 October 2026.
  8. 14032/25, Presidency note on a partial mandate, 30 October 2025, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.
  9. 15993/25 ADD 1, statements on the partial mandate, Coreper of 26 to 28 November 2025, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.
  10. Combating child sexual abuse online: support for more limited ePrivacy derogation, 9 July 2026, European Parliament. Read 29 October 2026.
  11. 11501/26, outcome of the trilogue on 29 June 2026 and next steps, 7 July 2026, Council of the EU. Read 29 October 2026.

Every fact here comes from the Council, the European Parliament or the text of the law, checked again and dated. How we check