European Commission's Metsola Overrides MEPs to Force Through Chat Control

BRUSSELS — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is trying to push through a controversial law on scanning child abuse content online even though it has been repeatedly slapped down by her own chamber, according to a document seen by POLITICO. In a step that diplomats deem “without precedent,” the top EU politician has asked member countries in the Council to approve a bill that her own Parliament shot down in a plenary vote in March. At stake is whether the EU allows tech platforms to voluntarily scan their services for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The issue has been mired in controversy, with police and child rights advocates and European commissioners arguing that a lack of legislation allows predators and pedophiles to operate with impunity online. Privacy campaigners, meanwhile, have argued the proposals could lead to unacceptable mass surveillance and the end of encryption.