Digital privacy under threat? Our private messages might be monitored under pretext of child protection
Our private messages might soon be monitored under the pretext of child protection. A decisive vote is expected within days in the European Union on a legislative proposal officially aimed at protecting children, known as “Chat Control”, which could fundamentally alter the very concept of digital privacy. While supporters cite the reduction of online child abuse as its goal, critics argue that the proposal would spell the end of encrypted communication and grant unprecedented surveillance powers to states.
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Chat Control: Is digital privacy under threat?
The essence of the proposal is that major messaging applications—such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal, and Telegram—would be required to implement client-side scanning. This means messages would be checked on the user’s device before encryption, HVG reports. If suspicious content were detected, the algorithm would automatically notify the authorities.
The official justification in favour of child protection is that this would effectively identify online abuse against children. However, critics argue that this represents a textbook case of indiscriminate mass surveillance and a serious intrusion into personal privacy.
Civil resistance and international campaigns
The wave of protests was sparked in August by a Danish programmer, Joachim, who created the international campaign site Fight Chat Control. The simple platform enables citizens to send mass protest emails to EU decision-makers and national governments. Since its launch, over 20,000 letters have been sent, nearly filling some MEPs’ inboxes.
At the same time, the alliance stopchatcontrol.eu has brought together European digital rights organisations, which describe the proposal as “the greatest risk to European citizens’ privacy in the last decade”.
Member States’ positions: A deeply divided Council
Member States are sharply divided. Hungary supports the proposal alongside Denmark, France, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, and Malta. Opposition comes from Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, and newly-joining Germany.
Germany’s Justice Minister, Dr Stefanie Hubig, stated that “chat control without a legal basis is taboo in a constitutional state”, insisting on the inviolability of private communication. Germany’s veto has created a blocking minority, putting the Danish EU presidency’s planned political agreement for 14 October at risk.
Hungarian context: In the shadow of Pegasus
Hungary’s support is particularly alarming to critics, given the government’s previous misuse of surveillance tools—most notably in the Pegasus scandal, as Ellenszél reminds us. If Chat Control is implemented, Hungarian authorities would also gain access to automatic filtering systems, potentially allowing them to view any citizen’s private messages.
Chat Control: Fundamental rights concerns
The European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection Supervisor warned in 2022 that such legislation could conflict with Articles 7 and 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the GDPR’s principle of data minimisation, and the ePrivacy Directive. Several MEPs have stressed that child protection cannot justify the general surveillance of citizens.
European parallels: France
The legislative debate in France illustrates how easily such regulations could create loopholes. A Senate amendment, justified as part of a crackdown on drug traffickers, would allow intelligence agencies access to end-to-end encrypted messages—sparking nationwide outrage.
What lies ahead?
The Chat Control vote is expected on 14 October in the EU Council on Justice and Home Affairs. If passed, the EU could enter a new era of digital surveillance by 2026, in which citizens can no longer be certain that their messages remain private.
The debate has therefore shifted from child protection alone to a much broader question: the future of privacy and digital freedom in Europe.
From the corrupt, bloated, authoritarian bully that gave us:
* pointless bicycle lanes that stand empty most of the time while motorized traffic piles up,
* those endless annoying cookie warning popups on websites,
* millions of violent, parasitic third-world illegal aliens raping, robbing, and bombing their way across thew continent,
* paper straws that dissolve into mush ten seconds after you put them in your drink, and
* plastic caps now being attached to bottles so you can’t drink a soda or juice without getting it all over your nose and face…
…here is another initiative: Destroy what little is left of privacy online. To Protect The Kids(TM), of course.
We need a revolution, folks. Pronto.