Protect Your Private Online Conversations: EU Plans to Monitor Chats – What You Can Do to Stay Safe
EU Proposes Scanning Citizens’ Private Communications for Child Abuse Material
The European Union’s controversial proposal to scan citizens’ private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is back on the table. Hungary, the current head of the Council of Europe, has revived the plan, dubbed "Chat Control," which has been met with widespread criticism. The proposal aims to require communications providers to scan all users’ chats and report any illegal content, potentially breaking encryption in the process.
A New Push for Chat Control
The latest version of the proposal, leaked by Politico, would allow communications providers to decide whether to use artificial intelligence to flag images and text chats as suspicious. These companies, including messaging services like WhatsApp and email providers, would be required by law to scan all users’ chats and report any illegal content, even if it means breaking encryption.
EU Members Have Two Weeks to Position Themselves
EU members have until September 23 to position themselves in favor of or against the proposal. As of now, at least 19 countries, including Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, and Spain, have expressed support for the plan. A few members, including Estonia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Austria, have abstained from taking a stance, while Germany and Poland have opposed the bill.
How a VPN Can Help
If the CSAM scanning proposal becomes law, some providers may be forced to leave the EU market or be blocked for not complying with European regulations. In this scenario, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can help bypass these restrictions. A VPN uses encryption to ensure third-party access to your data and spoofs your IP address location, tricking your internet service provider into thinking you’re browsing from a different country.
NordVPN: A Secure and Reliable Option
If you’re concerned about your online privacy and security, consider checking out NordVPN, TechRadar’s top pick at the time of writing. Alternatively, you can explore our best free VPN page to find a secure and reliable option.
Important Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example, accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) or protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
