A major privacy battle is unfolding in Europe as tech leaders challenge government surveillance proposals. Telegram founder Pavel Durov shared on social media platform X on Oct. 14 that the company had sent a message to all its users in France to make them aware of the European Union’s “Chat Control” proposal that would require apps to scan every private message. The measure sparked fierce criticism for its potential to turn personal devices into surveillance tools.

Durov stated:

Today, the European Union nearly banned your right to privacy.

“It was set to vote on a law that would force apps to scan every private message, turning everyone’s phone into a spying tool,” he described.

“France led the push for this authoritarian law,” Durov noted. He explained that both former and current Interior Ministers, Bruno Retailleau and Laurent Nuñez, supported the proposal. In March, they stated that police should be able to access private messages sent by French citizens. The measure was approved with votes from the Republicans and President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party.

Durov also criticized the proposal’s exemptions: “Officials’ and police messages wouldn’t be scanned either, since the law conveniently exempts them from surveillance.” He stressed:

Only YOU — ordinary citizens — would face the danger of your private messages and photos being compromised.

Germany’s unexpected opposition to the plan, joined by Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, Czechia, Finland, Luxembourg, and Belgium, stopped the legislation from passing. “Today, we defended privacy: Germany’s sudden stand saved our rights. But freedoms are still threatened. While French leaders push for total access to private messages, the basic rights of French people — and all Europeans — remain in danger,” Durov said. The EU is expected to revisit the proposal in December, keeping the debate over privacy and surveillance alive.

• What is the EU’s “Chat Control” law proposal?
  The EU’s “Chat Control” is a proposal that would mandate the scanning of private online communications, including end-to-end encrypted messages, by service providers to detect child sexual abuse material.
• Why did Telegram alert its French users?
  Telegram warned users that the law could strip away privacy rights and turn devices into surveillance tools for the government.
• Who stopped the proposal from passing?
  Germany, along with several other EU countries, opposed the law and effectively blocked it — at least for now.
• What should investors watch for next?
  The EU is expected to revisit the proposal in December, keeping data privacy and regulatory risks in the spotlight for tech companies.

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