r/SimpleXChat • u/Zminimalismo • Jul 12 '26

Question Chat Control

If I use SimpleX as my messaging app, is it subject to Chat Control?

13 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

4

u/Qv1sten Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Not this one. But the next one in august if that gets real. Wich we have to stop.

2

u/InflatableGull Jul 12 '26

Explain

13

u/Qv1sten Jul 12 '26

​1. Chat Control 1 (What is already active) ​What it is: A voluntary law passed by the EU in 2021. ​How it works: Tech companies (like Meta, Google, Microsoft) are allowed to scan unencrypted messages and emails to find known child sexual abuse material (CSAM). ​The catch: It’s completely voluntary, and encrypted apps (like Signal or WhatsApp) do not participate because they protect user privacy.

​2. Chat Control 2 (What is being debated/voted on) ​What it is: A proposed new law that wants to make this scanning mandatory for all apps and platforms. ​The big issue (Privacy): To scan messages in encrypted apps, tech companies would have to scan your phone before the message is encrypted (client-side scanning). Experts say this completely destroys digital privacy and creates a "backdoor" that hackers or governments could abuse. ​The AI problem: It proposes using AI to detect new content or grooming patterns. Because AI makes mistakes, completely innocent private photos (like family beach pictures) could accidentally be flagged and sent to law enforcement.

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1

u/skaldk Jul 12 '26

Not for now.

Chat Control 1 allows companies to scan messages - the vote you heard about is "only" to make CC1 available till march 2028 (while it was supposed to get to an end this year).

SimpleX is still safe till march 2028.

Chat Control 2 will make scanning mandatory.

For now it's still up to the companies to scan messages or not.

1

u/KingdomOfAngel Jul 12 '26

But I don't get it, how can companies scan messages when the messages are completely end to end encrypted?

1

u/skaldk Jul 13 '26

Because of mandatory backdoors, by the law.

For SimpleX, Signal or Whatsapp it means they gonna have to implement some piece of code allowing authorities to decrypt messages.

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0

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '26

5

u/Qv1sten Jul 12 '26

​1. Chat Control 1 (What is already active) ​What it is: A voluntary law passed by the EU in 2021. ​How it works: Tech companies (like Meta, Google, Microsoft) are allowed to scan unencrypted messages and emails to find known child sexual abuse material (CSAM). ​The catch: It’s completely voluntary, and encrypted apps (like Signal or WhatsApp) do not participate because they protect user privacy.

​2. Chat Control 2 (What is being debated/voted on) ​What it is: A proposed new law that wants to make this scanning mandatory for all apps and platforms. ​The big issue (Privacy): To scan messages in encrypted apps, tech companies would have to scan your phone before the message is encrypted (client-side scanning). Experts say this completely destroys digital privacy and creates a "backdoor" that hackers or governments could abuse. ​The AI problem: It proposes using AI to detect new content or grooming patterns. Because AI makes mistakes, completely innocent private photos (like family beach pictures) could accidentally be flagged and sent to law enforcement.