Overview of the Proposed Legislation

The European Union is considering a draft bill, nicknamed "Chat Control," that would obligate all messaging services operating in Europe to scan user chats for known and unknown child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The proposal envisions client‑side scanning of URLs, pictures, and videos before they are encrypted, with the exception of government and military accounts.

VPN Industry Response

The VPN Trust Initiative (VTI), a consortium of leading VPN providers, has issued a strong statement urging lawmakers to reject any regulations that weaken encryption standards. VTI co‑chair Emilija Beržanskaitė emphasized that "encryption either protects everyone or it protects no one," and called on governments to defend strong encryption as essential to privacy, digital trust, and democratic values.

NordVPN privacy advocate Laura Tyrylyte warned that client‑side scanning creates a false choice between safety and security, arguing that solutions should not sacrifice systemic security for a single problem. NymVPN CEO Harry Halpin described the proposal as "a major step backwards for privacy," highlighting the risk of normalising surveillance that could be repurposed against journalists, activists, or political opponents.

Technical and Security Concerns

Industry experts contend that mandatory scanning would irrevocably damage the technology VPNs rely on. They argue that client‑side scanning infrastructure could be easily reconfigured to expand surveillance beyond its original intent, contradicting the EU’s own cybersecurity goals such as the Cyber Resilience Act and post‑quantum cryptography initiatives.

Political Landscape

As of the latest meetings, eight EU member states—including Luxembourg and Germany—have joined the opposition, while fifteen countries, including France, Italy, and Spain, remain in favour of the bill. Over 500 cryptography scientists and researchers have signed a letter warning the EU Council of the risks associated with the proposal. Only three EU members—Estonia, Greece, and Romania—remain undecided.

Calls for Alternative Approaches

Critics of the bill advocate for targeted, warrant‑based investigations, rapid takedown of illegal content, clear industry reporting routes, and properly resourced specialist teams as more effective and less intrusive methods for combating CSAM.

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