Chatkontrolle

Leaked EU documents, published before a key trilogue round, indicate member states are seeking to legalise indiscriminate mass scanning of private messages through administrative decisions rather than primary legislation. Critics say the workaround would impose blanket surveillance of private communications without a court order, reviving the controversial 'chat control' proposal by indirect means, while supporters argue it targets child sexual abuse material.

EU politicians and commentators are reacting angrily to renewed plans branded 'chat control 2.0', with critics calling the proposed deal on scanning private messages 'dirty' once again. The criticism targets the EU's revived push to obligate messaging providers to screen communications, reopening a fierce debate over privacy versus child protection in Brussels.

German-language discussions are calling out Ursula von der Leyen, mockingly nicknamed 'Zensursula', over her latest search plans linked to the EU's chat control proposal. Critics, including members of the Pirate and digital rights communities, describe chat control as an ongoing battle, saying the plans must be continuously resisted and that scrutiny of the new search proposals is growing.

EU member states are pushing to legalise comprehensive mass scanning of private chat messages through an indirect route, reviving the so-called chat control debate. The plan, reported by German tech news outlet heise, would allow authorities to scan private communications, and critics see it as surveillance of all users being introduced by sidestepping previous opposition.