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Governments want to scan your chat messages
From October 2025, the European Union is expected to implement sweeping surveillance powers under the initiative called Chat Control. The proposed law mandates scanning of all private communications including encrypted chat messages ostensibly to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
While protecting children is a universal concern, critics argue that this justification is being used to push through what could become the most invasive mass surveillance policy in modern internet history.
If passed, this law will affect not only EU citizens but also users worldwide who rely on EU-based digital services. Even those outside of Europe, such as in Trinidad and Tobago, the US, Canada, or Africa, may feel its ripple effects as governments look to adopt similar measures.
The Trojan Horse: Child safety and surveillance
According to the leaked documents and growing public concern, Chat Control is set to legally require service providers including apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and ProtonMail to scan every message before it is encrypted and sent. This method, known as client-side scanning, effectively renders encryption useless. Before your chat messages even leave your device, they could be analysed, logged, and potentially reported.
The public-facing narrative is focussed on stopping the spread of CSAM, which is a real and serious issue. However, this line of reasoning has repeatedly been used by governments to introduce policies that later become tools for broader surveillance. Once in place, these systems can be quietly repurposed to monitor dissent, political opinions, journalism, and activism any content deemed threatening to the state or its corporate allies.
The global trend towards authoritarian tech
While the policy is spearheaded by the EU, it is far from an isolated development. Similar efforts to erode digital privacy are surfacing globally. Canada, the United States, and parts of Asia and Africa are exploring or have already introduced laws that give governments unprecedented control over digital communication.
What’s more alarming is that the rules often do not apply equally. Politicians, law enforcement, and military officials typically enjoy exemptions, keeping their communications private while stripping that right from the general public.
This surveillance creep is not accidental. It is part of a coordinated global shift towards a highly monitored society. Politicians are pushing tech companies to roll out AI-powered monitoring tools capable of detecting not just illegal content, but also political speech, dissent, or even personal opinions that conflict with the state narrative.
What happens when encryption dies?
End-to-end encryption has long been a pillar of internet privacy. Apps like Signal, Telegram, and ProtonMail are built around the idea that only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The moment this principle is compromised, so is trust in digital communication.
If Chat Control is enforced, encrypted platforms may either shut down operations in the EU or build regional versions that comply with surveillance requirements. Signal, for example, has already indicated it would stop servicing the EU entirely rather than compromise on its encryption standards.
The loss of true end-to-end encryption could also expose users to additional dangers:
- Journalists could have their sources exposed.
- Activists could be flagged as threats.
- Private citizens could be criminalised for messages taken out of context.
- Oppressive regimes could adopt the same systems to track down political opponents.
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