Denmark, which holds the Presidency of the European Council, has reportedly withdrawn a proposal to force platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal to allow authorities to encrypt and review messages before sending them.
The bill, known as “Chat Control”, was first introduced in May 2022 as a way to combat the spread of illegal content through messaging services.
A revived version appeared this year, with critics again claiming it undermines encrypted messaging and people’s right to privacy.
The fact that the proposal has been withdrawn means that voluntary proposals will still remain.
According to an Oct. 30 report in the Danish daily Politiken, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the proposal to check encrypted messages by tech giants “is not part of the EU Presidency’s new compromise and will remain voluntary.”
The current framework expires in April
The current voluntary framework expires in April 2026, and Hummelgaard said that unless the long-standing political impasse over chat regulations is resolved, the EU will be left with no legal means to fight bad actors using messaging services, Politiken reported.
The withdrawal of chat controls was reportedly to allow the new framework to be implemented in time.
Tech giants and privacy advocates celebrate
X’s Global Government Affairs team said on Saturday that Denmark’s withdrawal was a “major defeat for mass surveillance advocates” and that the platform “continues to monitor progress in negotiations and oppose any efforts by governments to carry out mass surveillance of users.”
Patrick Hansen, director of EU strategy and policy at stablecoin issuer Circle, also praised the news, calling it “a huge victory for digital freedom in the EU.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties nonprofit, shared a similar position, speculating that public pressure may have “put pressure on the Council of the European Union to withdraw its dangerous plan to scan encrypted messages.”
Lawmakers should end mass surveillance
EFF security and privacy activist Torin Klosowski said in a blog post Friday that lawmakers should stop trying to circumvent encryption under the guise of public safety.
He argues that the focus should be on “developing real solutions that do not violate the human rights of people around the world.”
Related: Privacy group urges Ireland to halt work on encryption ‘backdoor’ law
“There is no way forward for message scanning proposals, whether in the EU or elsewhere, as long as legislators continue to misunderstand how encryption technology works,” he said.
“This type of surveillance is not just an overreach, it is an attack on fundamental human rights. The next EU Presidency should abandon these efforts and commit to finding solutions that protect people’s privacy and security.”
Ireland will become president of the EU Council in July 2026, taking over the reins from Denmark, who served as president for one year.
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