Germany Blocks EU 'Chat Control' Proposal Preventing Mass Digital Surveillance

Germany has officially blocked the EU's controversial "Chat Control" proposal, a regulation that would have required technology companies to scan all private digital communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including on end-to-end encrypted platforms like WhatsApp and Signal. This move effectively halts the regulation's progress, as Germany's opposition prevents the necessary majority among EU member states. Critics, including German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig and digital rights activists, argue that the proposal constitutes mass surveillance and a threat to fundamental privacy rights, with concerns over the high error rates of AI systems and the potential for millions of false reports. The German government emphasized that private communication should not be under general suspicion or preemptively scanned, likening such monitoring to opening letters as a precautionary measure. The proposal had faced wide opposition from privacy advocates, technology companies, and several EU politicians who warned it would undermine civil liberties and digital security. Germany's stance signals a significant victory for digital privacy across the EU and is seen as a critical blow to the proposal's future in the bloc.