Brussels faces privacy crossroads over encryption backdoors

EU member states are debating the "Chat Control" proposal to require client-side scanning or weaken encryption to detect CSAM, drawing strong opposition from hundreds of security experts and encrypted service providers who warn of privacy harms, national security risks, and high false-positive rates. The revised plan exempts government and military communications and aspires to detect new CSAM, which critics deem technically unrealistic. Major platforms like Signal and Tuta vow to resist, legal challenges are anticipated, and some member states may seek to delay a decision.