The European Union Council recently pushed for a dangerous plan to scan encrypted messages. In response, people around the world loudly raised concerns about the serious risks involved. As a result, the current Danish presidency has decided to withdraw the plan.
Since its introduction in 2022, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has strongly opposed the so-called “Chat Control” proposal. Despite the repeated attempts to revive this “zombie proposal,” it has consistently been rejected due to the lack of public support.
While this fight may be delayed, it is far from over. It’s time for lawmakers to stop attempting to compromise encryption under the guise of public safety. Instead of making minor tweaks and repeatedly resubmitting the same flawed proposal, the EU Council should acknowledge that any form of client-side scanning of devices fundamentally undermines encryption.
Rather than pursuing measures that violate the human rights of people everywhere, the EU should focus on developing real solutions that protect privacy without sacrificing security. As long as lawmakers continue to misunderstand how encryption technology works, there is no viable path forward for message-scanning proposals—neither in the EU nor anywhere else.
This type of surveillance is not just an overreach; it is an attack on fundamental human rights. The upcoming EU presidencies should abandon these attempts altogether and work toward solutions that truly safeguard people’s privacy and security.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/10/once-again-chat-control-flails-after-strong-public-pressure