The Pitch
The EU’s “Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse” (CSAR), commonly known as Chat Control, claims to protect children from online sexual abuse by requiring platforms to detect and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
How it was sold:
- “We need to protect children from predators”
- “Only scanning for known illegal content”
- “Targeted, proportionate measures”
- “Preserves encryption while keeping children safe”
The Reality
What it actually does:
- Mandatory Mass Scanning: Requires all communication providers (email, chat, messaging) to scan private messages
- Breaks Encryption: Initially proposed client-side scanning that would bypass end-to-end encryption by scanning messages before they’re encrypted
- AI-Powered Surveillance: Would use unreliable AI to scan for “unknown” CSAM, not just known hashes - leading to massive false positive rates
- Kills Anonymity: Latest version (November 2025) dropped mandatory scanning but added mandatory age verification, requiring real identity verification to use any communication service
- Scope Creep Built In: Language like “all appropriate risk mitigation measures” can mean anything - the expansion is already in the proposal
Current status (December 2025):
- Danish presidency backed down from mandatory client-side scanning in November 2025
- Now pushes mandatory age verification instead
- In trilogue negotiations between Council, Parliament, and Commission
- Cyprus takes over Council presidency January 1, 2026
- Expected adoption: March/April 2026
Technical reality:
- Experts worldwide agree: you cannot scan encrypted communications without breaking encryption
- False positive rates would be enormous, innocent people flagged
- Creates infrastructure that will be expanded beyond stated purpose
- Once built, this surveillance system will be repurposed for any government priority
The Pattern
Historical parallels:
- PATRIOT Act (USA): “Temporary” anti-terrorism measures became permanent mass surveillance
- The Stasi (East Germany): Mass surveillance “for state security” - letter reading, informants, comprehensive files on citizens
- Chinese Great Firewall: Started with “harmful content” filtering, now comprehensive censorship and surveillance
The playbook:
- Identify a real problem (terrorism, child abuse, etc.)
- Propose “narrow, targeted” surveillance as solution
- Build general-purpose surveillance infrastructure
- Expand scope through mission creep or new justifications
- Normalize the surveillance state
Why “protect the children” is the most Nazi excuse:
- It’s never actually about protecting children (those measures don’t get funded)
- Real child protection: education, resources, mental health support, economic support for families
- But those require effort and money
- Surveillance laws let politicians claim they “did something” while building authoritarian infrastructure
- The Nazis literally used “protecting youth” rhetoric for their policies
What Actually Protects Children
- Comprehensive sex education teaching consent and boundaries
- Teaching children to recognize manipulation and grooming
- Media literacy and critical thinking education
- Accessible mental health resources
- Economic support for families
- Making trusted adults accessible
- Teaching parents how to have actual conversations with their kids
Kids are smart. Smarter than you. They will find ways around any blocks or government measures. The only real protection is education.
Why This Matters
Once this surveillance infrastructure exists:
- It will be expanded to other “problems” (terrorism, copyright, “misinformation”)
- Other countries will use it as precedent: “The EU does it, why can’t we?”
- Authoritarian regimes (China, Russia, Iran) get justification for their surveillance
- Private communications cease to exist in the EU
- Journalists, activists, lawyers, whistleblowers all exposed
- Digital sovereignty destroyed - EU companies can’t compete with compromised security
Take Action
- Contact your MEPs and national representatives
- Support organizations: EDRi, Patrick Breyer, EFF
- Use and support end-to-end encrypted services
- Spread awareness - call it “Chat Control” not whatever sanitized name the EU uses
- Remember: “Protect the children” is always the authoritarian’s favorite excuse
Last updated: 2025-12-15