Europe loves regulations, sometimes to the detriment of innovation. No wonder, therefore, of seeing a project emerge as Cat Control, accused of paving the way for massive surveillance. The official promise is the fight against sexual abuse on online children, but behind the smoke screen, it is digital confidentiality that is weakened. Fortunately, decentralized alternatives such as the web3 already watch this opportunity to seduce millions of suspicious users.
In short
- The Cat Control project imposes a scan of private communications before encryption.
- Experts warn that he will weaken digital security and create false positives.
- The web3 appears to be the alternative to guarantee the confidentiality of users.
- Germany holds the key to a decisive vote in the Council of the European Union.
When Cat Control transforms protection into generalized monitoring
The European text says it wants to protect the most vulnerable. But Cat Control worries more than Mica: it requires messaging to scan all exchanges before encryption. Concretely, even your photos, videos and links sent to WhatsApp or Signal should be screened. Experts speak of “customer-scanning”, surveillance directly on user devices.
Hans repel, CEO of Diode, does not mince his words:
Giving a corrupt entity an almost unlimited visibility on the privacy of individuals is incompatible with any sincere digital value.
That's not all. More than 400 cryptographers warn that these systems would trigger a flood of unmanageable positives. By wanting to protect, we risk weakening everyone.
Web3, the refuge announced in the face of control drifts
Each conventional encryption damage Give wings to the web3. In this universe, the rule is simple: the data remain in the hands of the user, encrypted by default and carried by open protocols. No central servers to intercept or analyze.
Elisenda Fabrega, lawyer at Brickken, recalls that:
Encryption is more than a technical function. It is a promise to users that their communications will remain confidential.
If Cat Control passes, users concerned about their privacy will seek elsewhere. Decentralized alternatives – 3.0 web messaging applications, wallets with integrated communication, censorship networks – will become refuge.
For some, this tilting is not only a technical trend but a real cultural battle. Because choosing the web3 is also saying no to a Europe attempted by mass surveillance.
Germany as an arbitrator, Europe in contradiction
Politically, the file divides. Fifteen states, including France, Italy and Spain, support Cat Control. But a dozen others firmly oppose it: Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands, Finland, Poland … Now, The key is good in the hands of Berlin : With its 83 million inhabitants, Germany can tip the balance to the EU council.
This showdown reveals a European contradiction. Officially, the EU says he is protective of private and digital ethical life. However, with this text, it could become the pioneer of mass surveillance.
Some figures and striking facts
- 15 EU countries already support the Chat Control project;
- 9 countries, including Germany and Poland, declare themselves opposite;
- 4 states are still undecided: Estonia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia;
- Over 400 cryptography researchers have signed an alert letter.
Behind these figures hides an ideological battle: innovation open against state control. The Cat Control Affairs is only one more episode in the tensions between European governments and digital actors. We saw him recently with Telegram, whose founder was arrested in France. Its message is clear: it is better to leave France rather than yield on encryption. The next months will say if Europe chooses security … or surveillance.
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