EU’s “Chat Control” Moves Forward Despite Privacy Concerns: What 450 Million Europeans Need to Know
EU member states agreed on a revised CSAM regulation, or "Chat Control," making message scanning voluntary but critics fear it enables mass surveillance.Summary
EU member states agreed on November 26, 2025, to a revised Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) regulation, known as "Chat Control," which affects 450 million Europeans. Although mandatory message scanning was removed following opposition, notably from Germany, the new legislation makes voluntary scanning permanent under EU law and introduces additional surveillance infrastructure.
Privacy experts warn that the "voluntary" nature is misleading, as vague language could pressure "high-risk" platforms into monitoring user communications. Furthermore, the proposal is technically criticized as infeasible, citing high false-positive rates in existing systems. Critics, including digital rights advocate Patrick Breyer, argue the agreement is a "green light for indiscriminate mass surveillance" and threatens anonymous communication.
The legislation includes review clauses that could revive mandatory scanning every three years and introduces analysis for "new material" and grooming behavior. It is part of a broader ProtectEU strategy aiming for data decryption by 2030 and might necessitate age verification, potentially ending anonymous internet use. The proposal now moves to trilogue negotiations between the Council, Parliament, and Commission before the current temporary rules expire in April 2026, determining the future balance between digital privacy and surveillance in the EU.
(Source：Brave New Coin)