The EU wants to scan your private messages before they’re encrypted. Not after. Not if flagged. Before.
“The plan would mandate that messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, must scan every message, photo and video sent by users starting in October, even if end-to-end encryption is in place” https://cointelegraph.com/news/eu-chat-control-plan-gains-support-threatens-encryption
“Rather than weakening encryption directly, the legislation would rely on client side scanning—software on individual devices that inspects content before it is encrypted and sent” https://techstory.in/eus-chat-control-proposal-gains-momentum-amid-heated-privacy-debate/
“The Danish version of the so-called Chat Control could be adopted as early as October 14, 2025” https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/a-political-blackmail-the-eu-parliament-is-pressing-for-new-mandatory-scanning-of-your-private-chats
“Digital freedom groups are asking citizens to contact their MEPs, sign petitions and push back before the law becomes irreversible” https://cointelegraph.com/news/eu-chat-control-plan-gains-support-threatens-encryption
This isn’t about catching criminals. It’s about catching everyone. Client-side scanning means your phone becomes the snitch. Before you hit send, your message is already flagged. Encrypted apps like Signal and Threema say they’ll leave the EU entirely. That’s not a privacy debate. That’s a shutdown warning.
The EU says it’s about child safety. But the tools can’t reliably tell illegal content from harmless photos. False positives will be common. Real criminals will just switch platforms. Ordinary users will be the ones exposed.
If this passes, the EU will have full access to your passwords, bank records, and private chats. It will kill cryptocurrency, kill anonymity, and kill trust in encrypted communication. And it’s backed by 19 member states already.
