Signal threatens to leave EU market over ‘chat control’

Messenger Signal has said it will leave the European market if the EU passes a law requiring the scanning of private messages to combat online child exploitation.

Signal CEO Meredith Whittaker stressed that the company will never compromise on security and end-to-end encryption. According to her, the service protects millions of users every day, including in life-threatening situations, and no “backdoor” for monitoring can be safe.

• The European Commission is promoting the idea of ​​‘chat control’ – mandatory scanning of all messages. Denmark has even proposed pre-installing special software on phones to detect prohibited content before a message is sent. However, this approach involves weakening encryption, which is opposed by most EU member states.

• Discussions have been going on for three years. European governments are struggling to find a balance between protecting privacy and combating the spread of CSAM. Previous attempts to push through client scanning have been met with resistance over privacy concerns. Government officials in Germany and elsewhere are calling for a unified legal approach that does not undermine the fundamental principles of digital security.

The situation highlights a deep conflict between the right to privacy and the need to combat crime. Signal has taken a hard line: it would rather leave Europe than agree to weaken encryption. Final decisions are expected after discussions on October 13-14, and the future of not only Signal but also all secure messengers in the region depends on them.