Chat control is a security risk for all of Europe
On May 11, 2022, the European Commission proposed a law to prevent and combat child sexual abuse (CSA Regulation), mandating that social media platforms, email and chat providers, and other digital services monitor all user communications, both public and private. This regulation was subsequently extended on April 29, 2024, to remain in effect until April 3, 2026. Despite the critical need to address CSA, these measures have drawn considerable criticism.
Prof. Matteo Maffei and leading cybersecurity researchers from Austria discussed with DER STANDARD the broad potential impacts on all EU citizens. They expressed concerns that scanning messages for illegal content before sending could undermine secure communications and potentially lead to mass surveillance. Beyond the implications for Europe’s messaging service market, experts also highlighted technological challenges and the unreliability of such a system. Matteo Maffei emphasized the profound impact on fundamental rights, comparing the scanning process to an invasive system where every letter is read, verified, and resealed before delivery. Researchers concurred on the importance of enhancing system security rather than compromising it, emphasizing that secure communication is a crucial, well-understood cornerstone of IT security that must be preserved.