StopTheDigitalPanopticon

On 14 October, the European Council will come together to vote on the Chat Control Bill. So let’s come together as citizens of Europe to show them that we won’t just blindly accept the fact that they want to monitor us and everything we say. Just like a house should offer complete privacy, so should it be the case for our private chats. Legally, it would violate Article 7 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR) concerning privacy, given that all private conversations would be monitored. It would also violate Article 8 of the CFR concerning data protection, as the screening by service providers is a form of data processing which creates a possible back door for malicious actors and possibly even government actors such as the NSA (Snowden) or other intelligence agencies to access all data on European citizens.

Not only that, but down the line, it could also lead to Article 11 of the CFR being impacted, as the screening of users’ communication might deter people from openly expressing their views, creating a panoptical effect. The automated detection tools can also lead to false positives, which can affect innocent people’s lives.

But more importantly, where will the line be drawn? Will it only be used to protect the kids? The Online Safety Act in the UK already shows that the government has started to classify war coverage, investigative journalism, and political protests as harmful content. This affects critical thinking and could be a catalyst for cracking down on protests or other content that governments don’t agree with, thus causing authoritarianism. One should also be aware that it won’t actually protect children. If they truly want to protect children, they should hold platforms such as Roblox and major social media platforms where the actual threats lie accountable, instead of spying on their citizens. The European government should invest in organizations that are already doing the work, rather than overwhelming them with more reports that may include false positives.

It is us against them, as EU politicians exempt themselves, as well as military, intelligence agencies, and the police, because of professional secrets as per Article 1 (2a) and (2b) of the proposed CSA Regulation. However, will lawyers and mental health professionals be included in this article, or will the patient-doctor and lawyer-client confidentiality also be broken?

Hence why I truly believe that citizens from all across Europe, and across the entire political spectrum (as this is something that should concern every citizen, no matter if you are left or right), should come together to fight for their privacy and for a true democracy. So let’s protest in every capital across Europe on 14 October. The people in Member States that oppose this bill should focus their voice toward the Member States that support the bill. The people in Member States that support this bill or are undecided should let themselves be heard by their government and show that they won’t let this pass. And for the people who can get to Brussels easily, let’s come together and raise our voice so they can hear us from within the Council of the European Union as they are voting. The power is within the people, not within the government.

To organisations, organisers, or individuals who would like to support and or help with organizing this protest, please contact me at stopthedigitalpanopticon@gmail.com. So that we can work on graphics, get the permits, write press releases, and find a spokesperson in every country. The more we can achieve together as a community, the better. So all artists, researchers, experts, lawyers, and everyday citizens, let’s work together because a collective and direct voice is always clearer than random shouting. Let’s fight the digital panopticon and show the EU that the people don’t accept living in a surveillance state. Also feel free to translate this message into your native language and spread it in your country. The more people, the better. Interesting literature concerning the Chat Control Law: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/08/chat-control-must-be-stopped/ https://fightchatcontrol.eu/resources https://edri.org/our-work/most-criticised-eu-law-of-all-time/