EU’s CSA Regulation Explained: Privacy vs Protection
The EU is proposing a new law called the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR)—nicknamed “Chat Control”. Its goal is to stop child abuse online. But to do that, it could force apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Gmail to scan your private messages, photos, and files before you send them.
If passed, this law could:
Many experts and privacy groups say this goes too far. They worry it could:
Ireland’s Oireachtas committee has expressed concerns about the regulation’s scope and its potential to mandate surveillance of virtually all digital communications. Civil society groups like ICCL Ireland have joined international voices opposing the proposal.
Olga Cronin, Surveillance and Human Rights Policy Officer, ICCL, said:
"This is a welcome intervention from the Justice Committee. ICCL accepts the European Commission’s good intentions to tackle what is a heinous crime. Everyone agrees that effective measures must be taken to protect the rights of victims and survivors. But mandating the mass scanning of the messages and emails of almost 500 million people in the EU to combat a deeply complex social problem is disproportionate.”
Key dates to watch:
If passed, the law could reshape how digital communication works across Europe.
Protecting children is vital—but so is protecting everyone’s privacy. Let’s make sure we get the balance right.