Vitalik Buterin Breaks Silence on EU Chat Control Proposal

As a researcher with a background in technology and privacy, I’m thrilled to see Vitalik Buterin expressing his views on the recent rejection of the EU’s Chat Control 2.0 proposal. The Ethereum co-founder’s perspective is particularly noteworthy given his deep understanding of blockchain technology and its potential to protect individual privacy.


Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, has shared his thoughts on the European Union’s proposal to regulate chat controls on social media sites.

Vitalik Buterin Sees a More Challenging Privacy Preservation Era

Vitalik Buterin expressed his satisfaction after the EU turned down the Chat Control 2.0 proposition, deeming it a noteworthy victory.

He expressed his gratitude towards the effort of different entities who ensured that the proposal does not see the light of day. Consequently, Buterin congratulated Europeans on their latest win against the authorities. In a follow-up post, the Ethereum executive highlighted the fact that this may not mark the end of such legislation that threatens citizens’ privacy.

Instead, according to Buterin, we’re entering an era full of challenges when it comes to safeguarding privacy. To provide some context to Buterin’s statement, let me share some background information.

As a crypto investor, I’m elated by the recent news that EU chat control proposals have failed. It feels like a substantial victory for the community. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who put in the effort to make this outcome a reality. Bravo, Europeans!

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) July 6, 2024

In addition to the MiCA regulatory framework for crypto assets, EU member states have put forth a plan to extensively scan encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal. This entails scanning multimedia content like videos, images, and URLs exchanged on these platforms for potential incriminating materials. An Artificial Intelligence system will handle the scanning process against a government database containing known abusive content.

The aim was to mitigate the occurrence of child security abuse via these social media platforms.

Significant legislation underwent approval in the European Council, one of the two legislative branches. Subsequently, it will proceed to the next stage of the legislative process. During this period, privacy advocates and encrypted messaging platform operators voiced their opposition. Some went so far as to compare it to the pervasive surveillance depicted in George Orwell’s 1984 novel.

EU Chat Control 2.0 Proposal Faces Criticism 

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed some industry critics voicing their concerns about the proposed idea. They argue that it goes against the very essence of end-to-end encryption – a feature that keeps messages securely encrypted until they reach the intended recipient’s device. In simpler terms, they believe the proposal undermines the privacy and security that comes with this encryption method.

As an analyst, I’ve come across Meredith Whittaker’s perspective as the president of the Signal foundation, who has pointed out that it has long been acknowledged by experts that maintaining the security of end-to-end encryption while allowing surveillance access to encrypted content is a challenge without a clear solution. However, despite this understanding, there have persistently been suggestions for achieving this seemingly impossible balance.

A petition titled “Don’t Scan Me” gained significant support from the public. Fortunately, the sponsors of the proposed legislation heeded our voices and chose to withdraw it.

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2024-07-06 18:23