European Parliament adopts position on child sexual abuse material detection

On Thursday, the European Parliament concluded its second reading regarding a framework for detecting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and grooming online. The legislation aims to allow electronic communication services to voluntarily detect such material. Members of the European Parliament approved amendments to the Council's position that specifically exclude end-to-end encrypted communications from the scope of the regulation. During the legislative process, an absolute majority of 360 votes was required to reject or amend the Council's position. An initial vote to reject the position failed, receiving 314 votes in favor, 276 against, and 17 abstentions. A subsequent vote on the modified position also failed to reach a majority for rejection, with 276 votes in favor, 286 against, and 30 abstentions. The finalized position of the Parliament will now be sent to the Council, which has a three-month period to approve or further negotiate the measure.