In a vote on Thursday, the European Parliament rejected a temporary extension of the current regulatory system for how online platforms can voluntarily search for abusive material.
What happens now is unclear, as the current rules will no longer apply from April 3. Swedish MEP Arba Kokalari (M) is not happy.
"We wanted to extend the rules we have today that both protect a free and open internet and give the police the tools they need to stop pedophiles. That the left and the Sweden Democrats wanted to get away with it is really bad," Kokalari said.
Talks on longer-term rules have been slow, as there are widely differing opinions about what opponents have dubbed "chat control", due to concerns about excessive controls.
