The Council of the European Union has adopted a renewed interim regulation to detect child sexual abuse online, according to a press release from the European Commission on 23 July 2026.
The interim regulation is a derogation from certain provisions of the EU e-Privacy Directive.
The renewed authorization will be in effect until April 2028.
The European Parliament adopted amendments on 9 July 2026, which were included in the Council's adoption. The European Commission is reported to have given a positive opinion to these amendments.
Some online platforms had used the mechanism for years to voluntarily report child sexual abuse material and grooming messages, according to reports.
The interim regulation allows messaging services to voluntarily detect child sexual abuse material.
End-to-end encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal remain exempt from the interim regulation, according to reports.
The renewed authorization aims to give time for the EU to agree on broader rules, according to reports.
