What is Chat Control?
"Chat Control" is the colloquial name for the planned CSAM Regulation (Child Sexual Abuse Material) of the European Commission. Providers of messenger services could be required to automatically scan private messages for abuse material. Since the first draft in 2022, the project has been contentiously negotiated, repeatedly postponed and watered down — as of today, there is no final, binding law.
Chat Control 1.0 vs. 2.0: The important difference
The interim rules currently in force ("Chat Control 1.0") only permit providers to voluntary scanning of unencrypted communication. Client-side scanning of content that is already end-to-end-encrypted is not covered by it.
The more controversial "Chat Control 2.0" would have changed exactly that — an obligation to scan even at E2E-encrypted services like Signal or WhatsApp. This proposal has so far repeatedly failed due to a lack of majorities in the EU Council.
The most effective protection: end-to-end encryption
That is exactly why the simplest measure is to use exclusively services with genuine end-to-end encryption — first and foremost Signal and Threema. Both encrypt messages right on your device before they leave the network.
- Signal is open-source and free, installable via F-Droid or the Aurora Store
- Threema additionally emphasizes anonymity and can be used without a phone number
- Neither falls under the currently permitted voluntary scanning practice for unencrypted services
What a SaferPhone additionally provides
A scanning obligation would technically operate at the level of the respective app, not the operating system. But what a SaferPhone gives you is genuine control and freedom of choice:
- Free choice of apps instead of a forced Google ecosystem — via F-Droid and the Aurora Store you install whatever you want
- Auditable, open-source software instead of black-box code
- No Google background services, which already collect metadata anyway
- Sandboxed profiles that isolate even compromised apps from the rest of your data — this also raises the bar for exploit chains of the kind used in commercial surveillance software ("government trojans"), even if no system can guarantee protection against every type of attack
Frequently asked questions about Chat Control
What is Chat Control?
Chat Control is the colloquial name for a planned EU regulation (officially the CSAM Regulation) that could require providers of communication services to automatically scan messages for abuse material. As of today, there is no final, binding law.
Does Chat Control also affect Signal and Threema?
The interim rules currently in force ("Chat Control 1.0") only permit the voluntary scanning of unencrypted communication. End-to-end-encrypted services like Signal and Threema are not covered by it. An obligation to scan even at E2E services ("Chat Control 2.0") has so far failed due to a lack of majorities in the EU Council.
How do I protect myself most effectively?
The most effective approach is the consistent use of services with genuine end-to-end encryption like Signal or Threema. It also helps to have a smartphone without Google background services, which already collect metadata anyway, and the free choice of trustworthy, open-source software.
Does a SaferPhone automatically make me immune to Chat Control?
No. If a scanning obligation were also adopted for E2E services, it would technically operate at the level of the respective app, not the operating system. But a SaferPhone gives you the control to switch to trustworthy, open-source alternatives at any time, instead of being trapped in a closed Google ecosystem.