The surveillance dilemma

What is chat control?

In May 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation titled "Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse" (COM/2022/209 final). On the surface, the proposal seems well-intentioned — after all, protecting children from harm is an unquestionable priority. Yet the real questions arise when we look at how this measure would actually be implemented, and whether the proposed methods strike the right balance between child safety and fundamental rights.

This proposal raises significant concerns, particularly regarding its potential to infringe upon fundamental rights. Article 7 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights safeguards the right to respect for private and family life, home, and communications, while Article 8 protects personal data. The implementation of mass surveillance measures, such as client-side scanning of private messages, could violate these rights by enabling unauthorized access to private communications without sufficient safeguards.

Privacy is both vital and often underestimated, and implementing this proposal could make data protection even more challenging — a concern that is already pressing in today’s digital landscape. On top of that, imagine the number of false positives that could be generated, flagging perfectly innocent messages as problematic and potentially overwhelming police stations with false reports and complaints — a situation that risks allowing truly serious cases to go unnoticed.

Some alternatives

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely prevent these kinds of situations, and everyone must share some responsibility when using technology and the internet. The digital world is a wonderful tool — it connects us with people far away — but it also exposes us to risks and to those with harmful intentions. We cannot stop “bad actors” from existing, but we can learn to be more cautious in how we use technology.

That begins with education. We need to teach our children (and not only them) how to use digital tools responsibly: what to share, what not to share, and how to stay safe online. But it’s not only children who face challenges here. Technology is evolving so quickly that even adults struggle to keep up, and digital literacy is uneven across society. There are simply too many things to know — it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be fully aware of every risk.

The real challenge is that we all need to improve our understanding of the digital world together. By strengthening digital literacy at every age, we can create a safer environment where both adults and children are better equipped to handle risks online.

Take Action

The debate around EU chat control is not just about technology — it is about the kind of society we want to live in. Protecting children is an unquestionable priority, but mass surveillance and weakened privacy are not the right path forward. If you share these concerns and believe in defending digital rights while seeking smarter alternatives, you can add your voice to the growing movement.

Sign the petition here — where you will also find more detailed information about the arguments against EU chat control.