The European Parliament is once again putting a controversial initiative on the agenda, which the crypto community has already dubbed "chat control." This refers to extending temporary rules that allow authorities to mass-scan private user messages. The Parliament approved an urgent procedure for a second vote, which will take place on July 9.
331 MEPs voted in favor of the urgent consideration, 304 against, and 11 abstained. To reject or amend the proposal, an absolute majority of at least 361 votes is required. As you can see, the balance of power is extremely tense, and the outcome of the vote remains uncertain.
Why is this important for the crypto industry?
At first glance, "chat control" only concerns messengers and social networks. But in practice, such measures create a dangerous precedent for the entire digital ecosystem. If the state gains the right to scan encrypted messages, this directly undermines the principles of decentralized privacy that underpin blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies. The implementation of such control could be the first step toward restricting the use of crypto wallets and DeFi services within the EU.
Let me remind you that similar attempts have already sparked massive protests from human rights activists and technology companies. However, European regulators seem unwilling to abandon a tool that gives them access to citizens' personal data.
My expert assessment: The crypto community should closely monitor this vote. If "chat control" is extended, it will create a legal basis for further tightening control over digital assets. In the long term, such a scenario could push users toward fully anonymous protocols, which, in turn, would only increase demand for privacy-oriented cryptocurrencies like Monero or Zcash.