European Commission's Metsola Overrides MEPs to Force Through Chat Control

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has asked EU member states to approve a controversial child sexual abuse material (CSAM) scanning bill that her own Parliament rejected in a March plenary vote, a move diplomats consider "without precedent." The proposal would allow tech platforms to voluntarily scan for CSAM, but faces opposition from privacy advocates concerned about mass surveillance and encryption, while child protection advocates argue it's necessary to combat online abuse. Parliament lawmakers have criticized Metsola's invitation to the Council as undermining the chamber's decision and a political dead end, with two plenary rejections suggesting the stance is unlikely to change.