EU Postpones The Chat Control Vote: What Happened
The vote on Chat Control has been postponed, but the “fight isn’t over” yet – here's what we know so far. The EU has delayed its decision on the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), a controversial proposal that would require scanning of private chats to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The vote was originally scheduled for October 14, but the EU Council and Justice Ministers have pushed it back following renewed opposition from key member states.
Germany’s Opposition Stalls Chat Control
Germany officially joined the opposition on October 7, declaring that random chat monitoring “must remain taboo.” The government stated clearly that it will not agree to any law that compromises citizens’ right to privacy and encryption.
This decision from one of the EU’s most influential countries appears to have played a major role in derailing the scheduled vote — and it may signal a significant turning point in the ongoing battle over digital privacy in Europe.
What Chat Control Proposes
Under the current draft, all messaging platforms operating within the EU — including WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and even ProtonMail — would be required to scan all URLs, images, and videos shared by users to identify potential CSAM.
Even more concerning, this scanning would extend to encrypted chats, which experts say is fundamentally incompatible with how encryption technology works. Encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read a message, and forcing apps to scan content would effectively break that protection.
Privacy Advocates Sound The Alarm
Privacy and cybersecurity experts have been vocal in their criticism of Chat Control. Many argue that mandatory scanning of private messages amounts to mass surveillance and poses serious security risks.
Signal’s Vice President for Global Affairs went so far as to call the measure “malware on your device,” warning that it could create dangerous backdoors for hackers and governments alike.
Over 40 European privacy-focused tech firms have also condemned the proposal, arguing it would undermine the EU’s digital sovereignty. Meanwhile, more than 500 cryptography experts have signed an open letter criticizing the bill’s potential to erode encryption, enable indiscriminate surveillance, and lead to false positives.
The Growing List Of EU Opponents
Germany isn’t alone in rejecting the bill. Other countries — including Belgium, Italy, and Sweden — have also shifted their positions, opposing any move that mandates scanning of private messages.
This growing bloc of resistance has made it difficult for the proposal to gain the necessary majority support within the EU Council. Despite that, proponents of the bill continue to push for a compromise that could revive the debate later this year.
What Happens Next?
While the vote on Chat Control has been postponed, the “fight isn’t over” yet – here's what we know about the road ahead. EU officials plan to revisit the proposal in future meetings, likely with revisions aimed at balancing child protection with fundamental privacy rights.
For now, the delay offers a temporary win for privacy advocates. But as EU lawmakers continue to debate, the question remains: Can Europe protect children online without breaking encryption and sacrificing digital privacy?
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