The European Union is quietly advancing the surveillance policy known as Chat Control, which would require scanning all private communications for “suspicious” content.Officially titled the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing and combating child sexual abuse (bill number 52022PC0209), this proposal, introduced by the European Commission on 11 May 2022, has evolved through amendments and could be implemented as early as October 2025.In places like Malta, this legislation has progressed without any semblance of public awareness or debate. For most citizens, it remains an unnoticed overhaul of their digital rights—a silent but pressing crisis.The plan is clear: communication providers will be compelled to scrutinise every message, text, email, or file you send. Imagine a government-ordained official peering over your shoulder as you write a private note to a loved one. This is the digital reality Chat Control threatens to create.This approach overturns the fundamental principle of “innocent until proven guilty”.Traditionally, law enforcement required reasonable grounds to monitor an individual. Chat Control discards this by compromising digital communications, mandating that every message passes through algorithmic filters and vast databases, where vague, shifting criteria would flag just about anything as potentially suspicious.The stated aim is to protect children, yet experts, including the Association of German Criminal Investigators and Brandenburg Police University’s Institute for Cybercriminology, warn that this blanket approach is ineffective against actual predators.It’s heavy-handed government overreach that sacrifices personal freedom for a false promise of safety, utterly failing to balance rights with security.Dubious Claims and RisksProponents claim the scanning will focus solely on metadata, sparing the content of encrypted messages. This is misleading.The legislation demands inspection of all data, including unencrypted messages, sensitive business information, and personal files before they are sent.Encryption is absolute—either it safeguards your data or it’s rendered impotent. By requiring providers to store and analyse your communications, Chat Control would undermine this cornerstone of digital security.No amount of assurances and ‘trust me bro’ promises from regulators can eliminate the systemic vulnerabilities this creates.While amendments describe scanning as a “last resort” or “preventive measure”, the loopholes are glaring. If it can be abused, it will be abused.If a provider’s measures are deemed inadequate, authorities could mandate sweeping surveillance across entire platforms.Worse yet, each EU member state could authorise this intrusion, turning your device into a state-monitored tool under the pretext of fighting child exploitation.Meanwhile, targeted, evidence-based methods or best practice guidelines for parents are overlooked in favour of a system ripe for abuse.History shows that mass surveillance invites overreach, and supposedly temporary data storage is still storage.The recent Tea app breach, where 13,000 selfies and IDs were exposed online, highlights the dangers of centralised data collection.Beyond the threat of hackers, this law also endangers activists, whistle-blowers, and those with unconventional views.Believing such a system won’t be misused is naive at bes —or worse, disingenuous.The justification—child safety—mirrors past excuses for surveillance, such as combating terrorism.The shifting rationale suggests a broader agenda at play: expanding state control under the guise of ‘protecting the children’.Maltese MEPs tout a “balanced approach,” but their assurances are meaningless, besides being technically incorrect.The bill’s vague wording ensures entire platforms could be targeted with minimal justification, rubbishing claims of limited scope. Proposed safeguards like age verification or keyword filters are inadequate, paving the way for a low-trust, papers please, checkpoint-Charlie society.And besides, actual predators adapt, while law-abiding citizens bear the cost of eroded privacy. In other words, this bill wouldn’t achieve its goals, while simultaneously compromising most communication infrastructure.It bears noting that parents, not governments, are the primary guardians of their children’s online safety.Education on parental control tools is all that’s needed for parents to rest easier.A Dangerous PrecedentIf Chat Control passes, every EU citizen’s communications would be perpetually monitored, stored, and exploited.History shows there is no getting around it. Encryption would lose its protective power, opening the door to further state overreach. The lack of public debate—driven by a process that bypasses democratic input—makes it all the more alarming.MEPs are advancing this abominable bill without broad consent, relying on amendments and feigned opposition that fail to address the core issue.In other words, they’re banking on public ignorance until it’s too late.Act NowDon’t wait for this to become reality. Contact your representatives and demand they reject this bill outright—amendments won’t suffice.Make it clear that this legislation must be stopped.Christopher Attard is an opinion writer•