A European Parliament vote has revived a fierce privacy row over whether tech platforms can scan private messages for child sexual abuse material. WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram are excluded under the amended text, but users of non-encrypted services such as Gmail, Instagram DMs, Discord and Snapchat could be affected.

Private inboxes are back in Europe’s privacy row

Private messages, family photos, direct chats and email accounts are once again at the centre of a major European privacy row after the European Parliament backed changes to a temporary law allowing online platforms to voluntarily detect and report child sexual abuse material.

The measure is part of what critics call “Chat Control”, although the formal legal issue is a derogation from the European Union’s ePrivacy rules. It is an exemption that allows some communication service providers to scan certain private communications for child sexual abuse content without breaching strict privacy rules.

The Council of the European Union, which represents national governments, says the measure is needed so online providers can resume voluntary detection and reporting while a permanent child protection law remains under negotiation. 

Child protection organisations have long warned about the scale of online abuse. The Internet Watch Foundation said it assessed 451,210 reports in 2025, with 311,610 confirmed to contain or lead to child sexual abuse material.

How WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram can stay outside of this version

The European Parliament amended the text to exclude communications protected by end-to-end encryption. In practice, that separates apps such as WhatsApp and Signal from other private messaging services, because only the sender and recipient are meant to be able to read the content. Reuters reported that WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal are excluded from the temporary rules under the Parliament-backed changes.

The European Parliament said MEPs want to exclude “communications to which end-to-end encryption is, has been or will be applied” from the scope of the law.

This means your day-to-day family WhatsApp group, private Signal chat or Telegram conversation isn’t the main target here. The bigger issue is likely to be non-end-to-end encrypted services.

Why Gmail, Instagram DMs and Discord could face different rules

The revived system could matter more for private messages and email services that are not protected in the same way as WhatsApp or Signal. 

Spanish reports have listed Instagram direct messages, Gmail, Discord, Snapchat, Skype, Xbox and iCloud as examples of services where private communications could be affected if providers choose to use voluntary detection tools.

That doesn’t mean that every message on those services will be read or analysed by a person. The debate is more about automated detection technology used to identify suspected child sexual abuse material and report it.

Privacy campaigners argue that scanning private communications without suspicion or a court order still amounts to mass surveillance. Supporters argue that voluntary detection helps identify victims, remove illegal material and alert law enforcement.

The vote moved forward despite more MEPs opposing it

The most confusing part of the vote is that more MEPs present voted to reject the Council position than to support it. According to the European Parliament, 314 MEPs voted in favour of rejecting the position, 276 voted against rejection and 17 abstained. However, because this was a second-reading procedure, rejection required an absolute majority of all MEPs, not just a simple majority of those voting. Because that threshold was not met, the Parliament’s amended position moves forward. 

How child protection pressure is driving the law

Supporters of the measure argue that the temporary system is necessary because the previous interim law expired on April 3, 2026. The Council said the reinstated derogation would allow online service providers to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material while broader legislation is still being negotiated. Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, quoted by the Council, said the measure was crucial to identify children at risk, bring offenders to justice and prevent further abuse.

The problem facing lawmakers is pressing. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said its CyberTipline received 21.3 million reports in 2025 involving more than 61.8 million images, videos and other files related to suspected child sexual exploitation.

But critics argue that the seriousness of the crime does not automatically justify blanket scanning of private communications, especially when less intrusive tools, user reports and targeted police action remain available. 

EU governments now have three months to decide

The current vote concerns a temporary derogation, not the wider permanent Child Sexual Abuse Regulation that has been stuck in negotiations since the European Commission first proposed it in 2022.

The Parliament’s amended text now goes back to the Council of the European Union. EU governments have three months to approve or reject Parliament’s amendments. If they do not accept all the changes, Parliament and Council will move to a conciliation process to agree on a final version.

Anyone relying on private email, social media DM’s or gaming chats for sensitive conversations should watch the next Council step, because that is where the final shape of the temporary rule will become clearer.

Holidaymakers travelling through Palma de Mallorca Airport faced disruption on Thursday July 9 morning after thick banks of fog rolled across the Bay of Palma, delaying dozens of flights during one of the busiest periods of the summer season.

According to Spain’s airport operator Aena, the reduced visibility caused by the unusual early morning fog affected flight operations shortly after sunrise. While the airport remained open, arriving and departing aircraft were forced to operate more slowly, creating knock-on delays across the morning schedule.

Fog slows flight operations

The fog developed over the bay before daybreak, reducing visibility around the airport just as the first wave of departures and arrivals was getting underway.

Air traffic controllers introduced greater spacing between aircraft as a safety precaution, meaning planes had to wait longer to land and take off. Although no runway closures were reported, the reduced operating capacity quickly led to delays affecting flights bound for destinations across Europe.

Passengers were advised to check the latest status of their flights with their airline before travelling to the airport, as delays continued to ripple through the morning schedule.

Rare summer weather event

Dense fog is relatively uncommon in Mallorca during July, when high temperatures and clear skies are more typical. However, meteorologists explained that humid air over the Mediterranean combined with calm overnight conditions allowed fog banks to form over the Bay of Palma before drifting inland.

The weather disruption comes as Mallorca prepares for another spell of intense summer heat, with temperatures forecast to climb into the mid-30s across Palma and exceed 40C in parts of the island’s interior later in the day.

Busy day for holiday flights

Palma Airport is one of Europe’s busiest summer gateways, handling thousands of passengers each day during the peak holiday season. Even relatively short weather-related interruptions can have a significant impact, as delayed arrivals often affect aircraft scheduled to operate later flights.

Most services were expected to resume normal timings once the fog lifted and visibility improved, although some passengers could continue to experience delays as airlines worked through the backlog of affected flights.

Travellers are encouraged to monitor airline updates throughout the day and allow extra time when travelling to the airport, particularly if connecting to onward flights. Flight information screens and airline apps are expected to provide the latest operational updates as services return to normal.

Your questions answered

Gibraltar’s new border era is no longer just a promise. Newly published rules due to take effect on July 15 set out where extra airport checks can happen and how police pursuit may continue across the Spain-Gibraltar frontier, affecting travellers, commuters and residents on both sides.

July 15 brings the treaty from paperwork into daily travel

The long-awaited Gibraltar treaty switch is moving from negotiation rooms into the daily lives of the people who will actually experience the change. Residents and travellers will very soon see changes at the airport, the border area, in police operations and on the daily journey between Spain and the Rock.

Provisions of the Treaty on Gibraltar and the European Union Act 2026 are due to come into effect on July 15 after a legal notice was published in the Gibraltar Gazette, according to GBC News. The same date has already been identified by the European Council as the expected start of provisional application for the wider EU-UK agreement on Gibraltar.

Airport passengers could face extra checks in a defined Schengen area

The latest rules begin to define how the new system will work on the ground. One of the newly published measures defines the “Second Line Checks Area”, described locally as the “Schengen Shack”, to support temporary arrangements at Gibraltar Airport.

The treaty model shifts checks away from the land frontier and places Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port. Schengen is the European passport-free travel area used by Spain and most EU countries, but Gibraltar is not currently an ordinary part of that system. Spain has said the treaty removes passport controls between Gibraltar and Spain, while Spanish authorities take responsibility for Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port.

That means the land crossing may become smoother for many daily users, but passengers arriving and leaving by air should expect some changes at the airport. The extra defined check area is part of the machinery needed to separate normal movement from cases needing further examination.

For British visitors, non-EU nationals and people with residency status, it is advised to travel with valid documents, allow extra time while the new system beds in, and keep residence cards or work-related paperwork accessible when crossing frequently. 

How chases could cross the frontier with new police pursuit rules 

The second notable change is important for understanding security concerns around an open border. Regulations on “uninterrupted pursuit” are also due to become law on July 15. GBC reports that the rules allow for an encrypted radio frequency to support operational cooperation between authorities during continued surveillance or pursuit.

Simply put, this means police or other officers may be able to continue pursuing a suspect across the Gibraltar-Spain frontier in specific circumstances, instead of automatically having to stop at the border line.

The rules, however, do not give officers a free hand to go willy-nilly engines blazing between the regions. Prior warning must be given to the competent authorities in Spain or Gibraltar, depending on the direction of pursuit. Information must be provided on the reason for the pursuit and the route being taken, with continuous updates as the authorities in the receiving territory take over.

Officers must be identifiable, able to prove who they are, comply with the laws of the jurisdiction they enter and file a report there. They cannot enter private homes or private places, and although they may carry weapons, those weapons can only be used in self-defence.

This is unlikely to affect normal daily life, but its importance is reassurance and clarity: a more open frontier needs rules for what happens when crime, surveillance or an emergency does not suddenly stop at a line on the map.

How the border changes still don’t mean that everything changes overnight

Gibraltar’s Government has already said enhanced security measures are being put in place at the frontier, including a new high-security fence line, additional policing, CCTV, live facial recognition cameras checking against wanted lists, Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and improved lighting.

It has also said that, initially, there will be little change to traffic flow, with vehicles crossing in both directions much as they do now while the surrounding area changes. This means that the July 15 date is a legal and political switch, but commuters, shoppers and airport passengers will most likely see a staggered transition rather than a single quick overnight transformation.

The European Parliament’s research service says the agreement removes physical border controls with Spain, introduces dual checks at Gibraltar’s port and airport, creates a customs union and allows direct flight connections between Gibraltar and the EU. The agreement is still expected to go to the European Parliament for consent later, with an indicative plenary date of December 14, 2026.

For now, the new border era will likely be judged by queues, airport checks, police coordination and how calmly the first days are handled on both sides of the frontier.