19 EU nations back scanning of private messages

EU seeks to scan chats before encryption

Can Brussels force WhatsApp or Signal to read every message you send before it is encrypted? The proposal known as Chat Control has returned to the table with the backing of 19 out of 27 member states, according to French tech blogger Korben, citing former MEP Patrick Breyer. The plan would require messaging platforms to inspect every message, photo, and video starting in October, even with end-to-end encryption active. Denmark reintroduced the proposal on July 1, the first day of its presidency of the Council of the EU.

What is Chat Control and how would it work

The mechanism does not weaken encryption but bypasses it. It involves client-side scanning: software embedded in the user’s device that inspects content before it is encrypted. The circulating comparison is that of the postal service entering your living room to read letters before putting them in envelopes. The true target, this interpretation argues, is not incivil using decentralized channels, but the average user.

The official justification is the prevention of child sensual abuse material. Breyer describes it as “mass surveillance through fully automated real-time monitoring of messaging and chats and the end of digital correspondence privacy.” The package also includes mandatory age verification, which in practice eliminates anonymity on messaging platforms.

Council arithmetic: 15 of 27 and 65% of population

A qualified majority requires two simultaneous conditions: at least 55% of member states, i.e., 15 of 27, and that these countries represent at least 65% of the total EU population. With 19 states in favor according to published information, the first condition is met. The second depends on who is in that bloc.

France, previously opposed, has reportedly shifted to support. Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, and Spain also back the measure. Germany remains undecided, and its vote is the deciding piece: if Berlin joins, the qualified majority could push the plan forward by mid-October. A detailed country-by-country breakdown of support and what is missing for the majority is crucial to examine closely.

Context: pressure on Telegram and censorship precedents

Telegram founder Pavel Durov warned that France risks social collapse if it continues down a path of political censorship and regulatory overreach. Durov was detained in France in August 2024 accused of failing to moderate his app to reduce crime. He also alleged that French intelligence services asked him to censor content before the May 2025 Romanian elections, a request he rejected.

Critics’ views and possible actions

Digital rights groups urge contacting MEPs, signing petitions, and applying pressure before the rule becomes irreversible. Practically, many ask if a VPN helps. The uncomfortable answer circulating is that if the company operates in the EU, it is obliged to scan, so a VPN does not exempt it. The only real escape is opting out: reducing dependence on platforms that scan by design.

The debate is not just technical. Some argue these measures are not driven by threats to the 2030 Agenda but are its practical application. Others see selective targeting: ordinary citizens are monitored while truly opaque channels remain off the radar. Part of the analysis notes that all this arrives coordinated with age verification in the UK and pressure from payment gateways on content platforms.

Where constitutional privacy stands

Confidentiality of communications except by judicial order is a fundamental right. The most repeated objection is that massive, automated scanning empties this right without need for a judge, suspicion, or cause. The official counterargument is the protection of minors. Between these positions, there is no technical middle ground: either everything is scanned, or nothing is.

The outcome of the October vote is not written. Germany holds the key, and as often happens in Brussels, the key is negotiated until the last minute.