The EU member states have again failed to reach an agreement on the controversial proposal for "chat control" to combat the spread of child pornography, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The compromise proposal on this sensitive issue, made by the Danish presidency of the EU Council, did not receive sufficient support. Because of this, the proposal will not be put to a vote at the next meeting of the European Union interior ministers.
However, the issue has not fallen off the agenda, DPA notes. Denmark or subsequent EU Council presidencies could submit a revised proposal for further discussion.
The meeting in Brussels took place late tonight to discuss the European Commission's three-year-old legislative proposal aimed at combating child pornography. The EU proposal would require messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal to scan their messages for child pornography content, including images, videos and internet addresses.
Critics of the proposal have repeatedly highlighted the risks of mass surveillance it entails. Service providers are also opposing the EU plans, with messaging app Signal even threatening to withdraw from the European market.