A controversial proposal from the European Union nicknamed “chat control” takes up the momentum, with 19 of the 27 EU member states would have supported the measure.
The plan would oblige messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, to scan each message, photo and video sent by users from October, even if an end-to-end encryption is in place, wrote Monday French technology Korben.
Denmark reintroduced the proposal on July 1, the first day of its presidency of the EU Council. France, once opposed, is now in favor, said Korben, citing Patrick Breyer, a former member of the European Parliament for Germany and the European Pirate Party.
Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain are also in favor, while Germany remains indecisive. However, if Berlin joins the majority, a qualified vote of the council could advance the plan in mid-October, said Korben.
A majority qualified on the EU council is reached when two conditions are met. First, at least 55% of the Member States, which means that 15 out of 27, must vote in favor. Second, these countries must represent at least 65% of the total EU population.
In relation: Freedom of expression is at risk without decentralized open-source technology
Pre-participation in digitization on devices
Instead of weakening encryption, the plan seeks to implement digitization on the customer side, which means that the software integrated into user devices inspects the content before being encrypted. “A bit like the post office came to read all your letters in your living room before putting them in the envelope,” said Korben.
He added that the real target is not criminals, who use encrypted or decentralized channels, but ordinary users whose private conversations would now be open to an algorithmic examination.
The proposal cites the prevention of children’s sexual abuse equipment (CSAM) as its justification. However, this would lead to “mass monitoring by means of fully automated real -time monitoring of messages and cats and the end of the confidentiality of digital correspondence”, wrote Breyer.
Beyond scanning, the package includes compulsory age verification, effectively deleting the anonymity of messaging platforms. Digital freedom groups ask citizens to contact their MEPs, sign petitions and push before the law became irreversible.
In relation: Founder of Telegram Durov at arrest, detention in France
France faces the collapse of society on censorship
Last month, the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, warned that France risked the collapse of society if it continues a path of political censorship and regulatory exceeding. Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 after being accused of not having moderated his application to reduce crime.
He also alleged that French intelligence managers approached him earlier this year with requests to censor pro-conservative content before the Romanian elections in May 2025, a request he said he refused.
Review: AI training to secretly love owls… or Hitler. Meta + Ai Porn?