Chat Control 2.0? Experts urge the EU not to undermine encryption with new ProtectEU plan

About 40 organizations and 40+ individuals are calling on the EU to have a key role in defining the ProtectEU strategy on encryption. Here's what's at stake.

May 8, 2025 - 13:33

Chat Control 2.0? Experts urge the EU not to undermine encryption with new ProtectEU plan

Around 40 organizations and 40+ individuals are urging the EU not to undermine encryption with the new ProtectEU plan
Experts are asking to have a key role in defining the block's technology roadmap on encryption
ProtectEU comes as yet another attempt to create a backdoor into encrypted messages

Around 40 organizations and 40+ individuals are urging EU lawmakers not to undermine encryption.

In an open letter published on May 5, 2025, the experts are asking to have a key role in defining the block's technology roadmap on encryption included in the ProtectEU strategy unveiled last April.

ProtectEU is the first step in the EU Commission's strategy to lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement. Yet, according to the experts, it comes as another iteration of the divisive Chat Control proposal that has been seeking to introduce backdoors in encrypted messaging apps since 2022.

"No technical silver bullet"

Encryption refers to the scrambling of data into an unreadable form to prevent unwanted access. The likes of Signal, WhatsApp, and secure email providers use end-to-end encryption to ensure your messages remain private between the sender and receiver.

According to law enforcement, though, this level of security prevents police officers from successfully carrying on criminal investigations. The ProtectEU plan then wants to give more tools to law enforcement to lawfully access people's online data.

Yet, experts have long argued that encryption cannot be weakened safely.

"Strong encryption is essential to protecting human rights and Europe’s digital infrastructure. Any attempt to grant law enforcement exceptional access would introduce dangerous vulnerabilities. There is no technical 'silver bullet,' access for the 'good guys only' is not possible," said one of the signatories, Matthias Pfau, CEO of Tuta Mail.

As mentioned earlier, Tuta also pointed out how ProtectEU may come as simply a rebrand of the controversial Chat Control proposal. The bill, which comes as a way to halt the spread of CSAM content online by scanning all people's communications, has so far failed to attract the needed majority to turn into law.

Together with 39 orgs & 42 experts, our founder @matthiaspfau calls on the EU for a scientific evidence-based approach to #encryption