"A disaster waiting to happen" – The privacy tech world reacts to the new Chat Control bill

After three years of back-and-forth, the EU Council finally agreed on the controversial Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR) bill on November 26, 2025. The bill – which has gained the nickname, Chat Control – is now likely to become law.

Despite winning the majority, the compromise on voluntary chat scanning did not garner support from all states, with Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Netherlands still in opposition to the current text. And privacy experts aren't ready to celebrate, either.

"A very sad day for privacy and a missed opportunity to invest in efforts to effectively protect children," commented Belgian cryptographer Bart Preneel on LinkedIn. Preneel was among the scientists who signed an open letter a few days before the vote to warn that the compromise still "brings high risks to society."