Chat Control Isn’t Dead, Denmark Has a New Proposal − Here’s All We Know

Why It Matters

The proposal reshapes the EU’s strategy for combating child sexual abuse online, directly impacting how tech firms handle encryption and user privacy, and could set a precedent for future mandatory surveillance measures.

Summary

Denmark has scrapped a draft law that would have forced all messaging services in the EU to scan every URL, image and video for child sexual abuse material, replacing it with a compromise that makes CSAM scanning voluntary but leaves a “review clause” allowing the European Commission to revisit mandatory detection in the future. The new text removes the mandatory detection obligations (Articles 7‑11) and shifts any scanning to Article 4 as an optional mitigation measure, while still permitting sanctions if “reasonable mitigation measures” are not adopted. Critics argue the voluntary model still poses privacy and security risks and could serve as a backdoor to re‑impose mandatory chat control, highlighting the ongoing clash between child‑protection goals and digital‑rights protections across the EU.