
The EU Has Abandoned Democracy
- A majority of MEPs voted against extending chat control (314 to 276), but the result was ignored because voting rules require an absolute majority of all 720 seats – empty chairs counted as 'yes' votes.
- The vote was scheduled on the last day before summer recess when attendance was low. The 340 opposition votes fell 47 short of the 361 needed to block the measure.
- Chat control allows platforms to scan private messages for illegal material – without any suspicion. The presumption of innocence is replaced by bulk surveillance.
- End-to-end encrypted services (e.g., Signal) were temporarily exempted, but final council approval is pending until October 2026. The rule is valid until April 2028.
- The Council Legal Service (EU's own lawyers) warned the rule is likely illegal – it violates Article 7 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (right to privacy and communications).
- EU lawmakers ignored this warning and pushed the rule through anyway. A court would likely strike it down.
- Three cases of deleted messages by senior EU politicians (e.g., Commission President von der Leyen's texts about Pfizer vaccine deals) were documented. The EU refused to release them – claiming they were 'unimportant' and 'short-lived'.
- The EU Ombudsman called this maladministration, and the EU General Court ruled against the Commission (May 2025). The Commission did not appeal.
- Bottom line: The EU demands total transparency from citizens while hiding its own decisions in deleted chats.
- The EU plans age verification for social media – using a government app that requires passports, ID cards, or digital IDs. It claims the system can be 'anonymous'.
- Combined with chat control, this creates a system of identity gating + access control + message scanning – a full surveillance infrastructure.
- The justification is always 'child protection' – the same narrative used in the UK and Australia.
- The public outcry was so loud that the EU was forced to exempt encrypted services. This shows: resistance works.
- Privacy groups and some lawmakers continue to fight. If citizens stay engaged, the trend can still be reversed.
Conclusion: The EU has forced through a surveillance rule against the will of elected representatives – a blatant breach of democratic principles. The question is: Is this the start of an EU surveillance state, or are critics overreacting?






