EU Parliament Kills Chat Control in Re-Vote Thriller: Automated Scanning Rejected by Single Vote, Mass Surveillance Derogation Expires April 4
Patrick Breyer / Hacker News·high signal
After the EPP forced a re-vote on March 26, the EU Parliament rejected automated assessment of private photos and chats by just one vote (307-306-24), confirming its March 11 position. As of April 4, 2026, the e-Privacy derogation expires permanently — Meta, Google, and Microsoft must stop indiscriminately scanning EU citizens' private messages. MEP Patrick Breyer declared 'This historic day brings tears of joy! The EU Parliament has buried Chat Control.'