EU’s “Chat Control” will be forced to scan every message, photo, and file before it is encrypted on WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and other all other apps.
Politicians would be exempt. It is being sold as “child protection” but the EU’s own legal service warns that it violates fundamental rights. Once a backdoor into encryption exists, it is not just governments who can use it. Hackers, criminals, and hostile states can too.
Today (with real encryption): Message is locked on your phone. Not even WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram (secret chat) can read it. Only the recipient can open it.
Under Chat Control: Your message is opened and scanned on your phone before encryption. If the scanning software believes it finds “prohibited” content, even by mistake, it is sent to the authorities.
Austria opposes the plan, but 19 EU countries already support it. If Germany joins them, the law could pass in October.
According to the campaign:
Mass surveillance: Every message, file, and image sent without suspicion would be automatically scanned.
Encryption undermined: End-to-end encryption would be weakened or broken, putting all communication at risk for everyone, not just criminals.
False positives: Innocent content such as jokes or holiday photos could be misidentified and trigger investigations.
Exemptions for politicians: Officials would be excluded under “professional secrecy” while normal citizens lose their privacy.
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Personally I thought they already did that. I guess things will just get worse.
https://fightchatcontrol.eu/ (useless activist site, still detailing the decision)