First published in Deník N.
MEPs have voted on whether Big Tech companies such as Meta, Google and Microsoft should have the right to scan our unencrypted messages and emails for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Although a majority of lawmakers opposed it, a legislative trick used by the European Parliament meant that the message-scanning proposal passed.
Tech companies can continue to read the messages we write using their applications until April 2028, even though such practices conflict with European privacy laws. Companies such as Meta, Google, and others have received an exemption from these laws. The justification given is the protection of children from abuse and the fight against child sexual abuse material.
Here’s why it matters.
