Rejected ChatControl 1.0 extension: Quote from MEP Markéta Gregorová

Today, the European Parliament has just rejected the extension of the temporary derogation from the ePrivacy Directive, also called ChatControl 1.0.

The European Parliament continues to support effective child protection through its mandate on the permanent CSAM regulation, ChatControl 2.0, which was backed by all major political groups.

Pirate Party MEP Markéta Gregorová, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur for the legislation, comments:

"We can now finally say with certainty that Chat Control 1.0 will end on April 3 without replacement. The European Parliament has sent a clear signal: it is time to put an end to this ineffective and disproportionate derogation from privacy rules. Under the pretext of protecting children, millions of private messages from innocent citizens were being scanned for years without delivering adequate results. This system simply did not work and had no place in a democratic society.

"I am concerned that the end of this temporary regime will now increase pressure to push through a permanent version, Chat Control 2.0. As shadow rapporteur, I will do everything to ensure that any form of mass surveillance of private communication is firmly rejected. We will firmly defend the Parliament’s position, which allows only targeted scanning of individuals who are reasonably suspected, and strictly on the basis of prior judicial authorisation.”