Key Takeaways
- A vote on the EU’s Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse has been postponed.
- The controversial “Chat Control” regulation would require platform operators to scan communications en masse.
- In a message to users, Telegram lambasted the French government over its support for the measure.
Telegram has warned French users about the threat to their privacy posed by a controversial EU proposal.
The Council of the European Union was due to vote on the Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, commonly referred to as Chat Control, on Tuesday, Oct. 14. However, opposition from some member states has temporarily stalled the proposal.
EU Members Split Over Chat Control
Initially proposed by the European Commission in 2022, the Chat Control regulation would require online platforms and messaging services to detect and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The proposal has been broadly criticized by civil rights groups and privacy campaigners, who note that it would criminalize many private messaging services and force operators to introduce encryption back doors.
The European Parliament adopted a watered-down version of the original proposal in late 2024 that preserved encryption safeguards.
However, the EU Council, representing member states, has struggled to find consensus. Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland have all signaled opposition, while France and Spain back a tougher stance.
Telegram Goes on the Offensive
Messaging platforms that offer end-to-end encryption are among those that would be most impacted by Chat Control, especially the strong version favored by the French government.
“France led the push for this authoritarian law,” Telegram charged in a message to French users on Tuesday. CEO Pavel Durov, who has spoken out against Chat Control and other initiatives he recently characterized as dystopian, shared an English version of the message.
It pointed to the government’s efforts earlier this year to implement a similar regime in French law, which was ultimately rejected by the National Assembly.
“People must know the names of those who try to steal their freedoms,” Telegram stated, singling out former and current Interior Ministers, Bruno Retailleau and Laurent Nuñez.
The message lauded Germany’s “sudden stand” against Chat control, which it said “saved our rights.” However, “freedoms are still threatened, […] the basic rights of French people — and all Europeans — remain in danger, it warned.
Recommended Secure Partners
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
