EU’s Chat Control Plan Could Force Mass Scanning of Encrypted Private Messages by October 2025

The European Union is pushing for a proposal that would allow messaging platforms to read your most intimate messages.

The controversial proposal dubbed "Chat Control" could mandate messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram to scan every message, photo, and video sent by the users before the encryption kicks in.

The proposal is gaining momentum within the bloc, with 19 out of 27 European member states backing the measure.

The legislation, introduced previously and revived on July 1 by Denmark at the start of its EU Council presidency, mandates pre-encryption message scanning on user devices.

France, who had previously opposed the proposal, is now in favor. Additionally, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain are also in favor, while Germany remains undecided.

Germany's decision will be an important point for the proposal, as if Germany aligns, the vote could be secured by mid-October 2025.

To pass, the measure needs to meet these two requirements: first, it must garner at least 55% member states; secondly, those countries must represent at least 65% of the EU's total population.

EU Lawmakers Cites CSAM For The Proposal

Lawmakers have also revealed how the process would go for encrypted platforms like Telegram. For such platforms, the algorithm would implement client-side scanning before the message is encrypted.

A critic teased the proposal, saying it is akin to letting the Post Office read all your letters in your living room before putting them in the envelope.

EU officials justify the sweeping surveillance proposal by pointing to the need to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. The law would make it mandatory for platforms to detect and report such content, even if it’s being sent via encrypted platforms.

Before scanning, the package includes mandatory age verification, effectively removing anonymity for messaging platforms.

However, critics argue that the real effect of this policy would be the mass surveillance of ordinary citizens, not criminals—who can and likely will switch to more obscure protocols and tools.

Why Privacy Advocates Are Alarmed

Digital rights groups, open-source advocates, and former EU legislators like Patrick Breyer warn that this bill effectively dismantles private digital correspondence across the EU.

Hence, they are urging citizens to contact their MEPs, sign petitions and push back before the law is passed.

The potential approval of the Chat Control proposal isn’t just about curbing illicit content—it reflects broader questions about the balance between safety and liberty, surveillance vs. privacy, and state power in a digital Europe.

Even outside the EU, tech observers and civil liberties groups are closely watching. The outcome of this legislation could set a global precedent for how messaging privacy is handled worldwide.

With a final vote likely by October 14, 2025, the clock is ticking on one of the most consequential digital privacy battles in European history.