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Why Chat Control threatens our privacy
The problem
The EU wants to stop the spread of child abuse material. No one questions the goal. The problem is the method. Instead of targeted action, the plan is mass scanning. Every message. Every photo. Every chat.
But not for everyone. Military, police, intelligence, and EU government accounts may be exempt. Citizens are scanned. Officials are spared. That creates a two-tier internet. One where ordinary people live under surveillance. And those in power are shielded.
The idea
They call it “Chat Control.” A regulation that forces apps to police users. WhatsApp, Signal, ProtonMail, Qaxa — none would be exempt.
The idea: scan before encryption, at the source. Your device becomes a checkpoint. And it’s not just mobile apps. Desktop clients, web apps, even game chats are covered. Any tool where people can exchange messages is affected.
How it works
Messages are scanned on your phone, laptop, or browser. The scan happens before encryption, so nothing is hidden.
Algorithms create a digital fingerprint of your text, photo, or file. That fingerprint is compared to huge databases of known abuse material. If there’s a match, it gets flagged. Unknown content is checked with AI models. That means machine learning judges what you type or share.
When the system thinks it found abuse, a report is sent. The report includes the content and your identity. It goes to a central EU authority, then to national police.
False alarms are inevitable. Innocent photos, jokes, or private notes can be flagged. Once flagged, your data is no longer private.
Why we don’t like it
It breaks end-to-end encryption. Once scanning is introduced, true private messaging disappears. Encryption becomes an empty promise, because the content is inspected before it is even locked.
It creates mass surveillance. Instead of investigating suspects, the system scans everyone. Every citizen is monitored by default. That flips the principle of justice upside down.
It treats every citizen as a suspect. Ordinary conversations with friends, family, or colleagues are no longer private by design. Innocent people carry the burden of constant monitoring, while abusers may still find ways around it.
It risks chilling free expression. When you know every word and image is being scanned, you may hold back. Sensitive discussions — about politics, health, or personal life — could be silenced. Privacy is the foundation of free speech, and Chat Control weakens both.
What’s next
EU ministers meet in October to vote. If approved, enforcement begins soon after. Companies will face a choice: weaken encryption or leave the European market. The rules apply to any service offered in the EU. Even if a chat app is built in the US, if it serves EU users, it must comply. If it refuses, access from Europe could be blocked.
Large platforms may bend to the rules. Smaller, privacy-first tools may choose to leave rather than betray encryption. Users in the EU could see services vanish or be watered down. The outcome will decide the future of private communication in Europe. And it will send ripples far beyond Europe’s borders.
At Qaxa, we are closely monitoring every step. We will act to protect your privacy. Because privacy is not a privilege — it is a right.
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