Overview
- EU governments approved a negotiating mandate that replaces blanket scanning with mandatory provider risk assessments overseen by national authorities, with penalty payments possible for non-compliance.
- Companies may continue or choose to implement scanning under a voluntary framework, and authorities can compel tailored mitigation measures after assessing a service’s risks.
- Privacy advocates and some lawmakers warn the incentive structure could push platforms toward mass scanning and erode encryption, while child-rights groups lament the absence of mandatory detection orders.
- The text establishes an EU Center on Child Sexual Abuse to coordinate implementation and support victims across member states.
- Member states were split on the deal, with the Netherlands, Poland, and the Czech Republic opposing and Italy abstaining, as Cyprus prepares to lead the Council’s talks from January.