The Council of the European Union has quietly approved a sweeping new mandate that gives unelected bureaucrats direct access to “scan” the private messages of the general public, all under the guise of “protecting children.”
Eurocrats have taken another major step toward resurrecting the EU’s infamous Chat Control surveillance regime.
However, this time the dystopian agenda has been advanced this time behind closed doors.
On November 26, the Council of the European Union approved a new negotiating mandate for the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR).
It set the stage for a sweeping overhaul of private digital communication across Europe.
Officials still insist that the chilling plot is about “child protection,” but critics across the political spectrum say the plan is simply Chat Control 2.0, a massive surveillance framework disguised as reform.
A “Voluntary” System Designed to Force Compliance
Unlike earlier drafts, the new version removes the explicit legal requirement for platforms to scan every user message.
However, opponents warn this is a trick, not a retreat.
The policy introduces an indirect pressure system: online services are rewarded or punished based on whether they agree to “voluntarily” install scanning tools.
In practice, companies that refuse will be penalized, meaning near-universal surveillance becomes a business necessity, not a law.
Former MEP Patrick Breyer, one of Europe’s most outspoken defenders of digital freedom, warned that the deal “paves the way for a permanent infrastructure of mass surveillance.”
According to Breyer, EU governments are simply replacing legal mandates with regulatory and financial pressure that pushes major tech firms into scanning encrypted and unencrypted messages alike.
He also cautions that the plan introduces “anonymity-breaking age checks” that could end private online communication altogether.
A Backdoor Revival of “Chat Control 1.0”
The new proposal, largely pushed through under Danish mediation, resurrects the core principles of the original Chat Control blueprint, which only months ago seemed politically dead.
Once again, companies must assess their “risk” for hosting illegal content and apply government-approved “mitigation measures.”
In real terms, that could mean deploying scanning tools that probe every message, photo, and file sent across a platform.
Czech MEP Markéta Gregorová condemned the decision as “a disappointment… Chat Control… opens the way to blanket scanning of our messages.”
Criticism has exploded across Europe.
A screenshot circulating on X shows warnings that the EU Council has approved blanket scanning despite strong opposition from the European Parliament.
Member States Split as Resistance Grows
In the Netherlands, lawmakers forced their government to vote against the plan, calling it a mix of “mandatory age verification” and a “voluntary obligation” system that punishes companies refusing intrusive surveillance.
Poland and the Czech Republic also rejected the text, while Italy abstained.
Former Dutch MEP Rob Roos blasted Brussels for operating “behind closed doors,” warning:
“Europe risks sliding into digital authoritarianism.”
Independent voices, including Daniel Vávra, David Heinemeier Hansson, and privacy-focused company Mullvad, say the proposal directly threatens the future of private communication.
Why Critics Say Chat Control Is Still Alive
Despite removing the word “mandatory,” the structure still establishes mass scanning by stealth.
Breyer called it a “Trojan Horse”, noting that the EU has now shifted the responsibility of surveillance onto tech companies while maintaining the same outcome.
The Council’s mandate creates three major threats that most European citizens still haven’t heard about:
1. Mass Surveillance Becomes the Default
By turning scanning into an “optional” industry standard, EU officials are effectively normalizing warrantless monitoring.
The mandate extends the previous temporary law allowing platforms to scan messages, including private photos.
Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office reports that about half of all alerts from such systems are false flags, with Breyer noting they leak “tens of thousands of completely legal, private chats” to law enforcement every year.
2. Anonymous Communication Is All but Eliminated
To “reliably identify minors,” platforms must conduct universal age checks, meaning ID uploads, biometric scans, or other invasive verification for everyday tools like email or messaging apps.
For journalists, dissidents, whistleblowers, or anyone who relies on anonymity for safety, this overhaul could render private communication functionally impossible.
Technical experts warn that age estimation “cannot be performed in a privacy-preserving way” and carries a “disproportionate risk” of surveillance and discrimination.
3. Teenagers Could Be Locked Out of the Online World
Under the Council’s framework, anyone under 17 could be barred from many platforms unless they undergo strict identity verification.
That includes messaging apps and chat-enabled games.
Breyer called the idea “pedagogical nonsense,” arguing it harms children by isolating them while forcing adults into perpetual ID checks.
A Battle Now Heading Toward 2026
Member states remain divided, but EU institutions are rushing toward a final deal before April 2026.
Negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council are expected to begin shortly.
Breyer issued his starkest warning yet:
“The headlines are misleading: Chat Control is not dead, it is just being privatized.
“We are facing a future where you need an ID card to send a message, and where foreign black-box AI decides if your private photos are suspicious.
“This is not a victory for privacy; it is a disaster waiting to happen.”
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