Hungary Pushes for EU-Wide Messenger Surveillance Despite Public Opposition
Hungary’s Council Presidency is expected to push forward a controversial proposal for mass surveillance of private messenger chats within the European Union (EU), just months after the draft law was removed from the agenda due to widespread protests. The proposal, often referred to as "chat control," aims to implement large-scale, automated screening of private communications, including encrypted chats, to detect illegal content such as photos and videos.
A Return of the Controversial "Chat Control" Draft
According to a report by the news service Contexte, the Hungarian government plans to secure a majority for the draft law by making a small but significant concession. The proposal will now allow providers to voluntarily opt out of searching for unknown illegal material using artificial intelligence, a demand made by the Netherlands. However, the core of the proposal remains unchanged: it would still require bulk automated searches of private chats and the disclosure of flagged content. Users who refuse to consent to this form of “upload moderation” could be barred from sending or receiving images, videos, or URLs on popular messaging apps.
This provision has already sparked backlash from messaging services such as Signal and Threema, both of which have stated they would end their services in the EU if forced to implement automated monitoring, also known as "client-side scanning."
Public Outcry and Fears of Mass Surveillance
Former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and digital privacy advocate Patrick Breyer is urging EU citizens to rally against the proposed legislation. Breyer warns that the fragile minority which blocked the law in June is at risk of dissolving, especially with the current lack of public attention on the issue.
“In June, under massive public pressure, there was a fragile blocking minority to save our digital privacy of correspondence and secure encryption,” Breyer explained. “But now, with no spotlight on government dealings, minimal concessions could tip the scales. Europeans need to understand that they will be cut off from using commonplace secure messengers if chat control is adopted – that means losing touch with your friends and colleagues around the world.”
Breyer criticized the plan as a step towards blanket surveillance, comparing it to government agencies snooping through private letters without any suspicion. “Regardless of the objective – imagine the postal service simply opened and snooped through every letter without suspicion. It’s inconceivable.”
The Legal and Ethical Implications
The proposal has ignited concerns over digital privacy, secure encryption, and the potential criminalization of innocent users. Breyer pointed out that current methods of screening for "known" illegal content, typically managed by large tech companies, have already led to significant issues. “It is precisely the current bulk screening for supposedly known content by Big Tech that exposes thousands of entirely legal private chats, overburdens law enforcement, and mass criminalizes minors,” he said.
Critics argue that while the plan is promoted as a way to protect children from online exploitation, it may not be effective in practice. The European Parliament itself has expressed scepticism about the long-term viability of the proposed measures, labeling them as "Orwellian" and likely to fail in court. Instead, they call for alternative child protection strategies, such as proactive web monitoring and the removal of illegal content without infringing on user privacy.
A Call for Action
With the decision looming, Breyer and other privacy advocates are calling for immediate action from the public. “We have one day to make our governments take a different approach of effective and rights-respecting protection while saving our privacy and security online,” Breyer emphasized.
