The European Parliament has approved a temporary extension of a legal derogation permitting technology firms to scan private communications for child sexual abuse material.

歐洲議會已通過暫時延長一項法律豁免，允許科技公司掃描私人通訊以偵測兒童色情內容。

The legislative action reinstates a temporary exemption from the ePrivacy Directive that had lapsed in April. This measure authorizes electronic communications providers—specifically including entities such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft—to voluntarily identify and report instances of online child solicitation and abuse material. Notably, the adopted amendments explicitly exclude end-to-end encrypted communications from this scope, thereby preserving the technical integrity of platforms such as Signal and WhatsApp.

此次立法行動恢復了四月失效的《電子隱私指令》（ePrivacy Directive）暫時豁免。此措施授權電子通訊供應商——特別包括 Meta、Google 和 Microsoft 等實體——自願識別並舉報網路誘拐兒童及色情內容的案例。值得注意的是，通過的修正案明確將端對端加密通訊排除在範圍之外，從而維護了如 Signal 和 WhatsApp 等平台的技術完整性。

Institutional friction characterized the adoption process. The European People's Party (EPP) advocated for the measure on the grounds that the absence of such legal frameworks would leave minors vulnerable. To expedite the process prior to the summer recess, the EPP utilized an 'urgent procedure.' This procedural mechanism bypassed preliminary committee deliberations and established a threshold where the regulation would be adopted unless an absolute majority of 361 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted against it. Although a plurality of lawmakers opposed the measure, the requisite majority for rejection was not attained, falling short by 47 votes.

採納過程中存在制度性的摩擦。歐洲人民黨（EPP）支持該措施，理由是若缺乏此類法律框架，未成年人將處於易受傷害的狀態。為了在夏季休會前加快進度，EPP 採取了「緊急程序」。此程序機制繞過了初步委員會的審議，並設定了一個門檻，除非有 361 名歐洲議會議員（MEPs）達成絕對多數投票反對，否則該條例將被採納。儘管有許多立法者反對該措施，但未能達到否決所需的絕對多數票，短缺了 47 票。

Opposition to the legislation is centered on the perceived erosion of digital privacy. Representatives from European Digital Rights and former MEP Patrick Breyer have characterized the measure as a form of mass surveillance, asserting that the voluntary scanning of private correspondence constitutes an infringement on the right to confidential communication. The current authorization remains effective until 2028, or until the ratification of a permanent legislative framework, the development of which has been ongoing since the Greek Cypriot Administration's presidency of the EU Council in early 2026.

對該立法的反對集中在對數位隱私侵蝕的擔憂。歐洲數位權利組織（European Digital Rights）的代表與前議員 Patrick Breyer 將此措施定性為一種大規模監控，主張自願掃描私人書信構成了對通訊機密權的侵犯。目前的授權有效期至 2028 年，或直到永久立法框架通過批准為止，該框架自 2026 年初塞浦路斯管理當局主持歐盟理事會以來一直在擬定中。

The temporary authorization for message scanning is now active, pending final review or conciliation between the European Parliament and the European Council.

訊息掃描的暫時授權現已生效，正等待最終審查或歐洲議會與歐洲理事會之間的協商。