EU Message Scanning Is Live and End-to-End Encryption Could Be Next

Millions of EU citizens already send messages through systems that scan them. Vyara Savova, senior policy lead at the European Ethereum Institute, warns that end-to-end encryption sits next in line.

The current rules come from a derogation to the ePrivacy directive. Lawmakers extended that derogation in July 2026, and it now runs until April 2028.

EU Chat Control Already Reads Whole Messages

In an interview with BeInCrypto, Savova separated two files that critics often merge into one. The first lets providers scan voluntarily. The second would turn scanning into a legal duty.

Most large platforms already use the voluntary route. Therefore, EU message scanning is not a future risk for most users. It is a current default.

Savova explained how the mechanism works in practice.

“Basically what is happening is you have this possibility to scan voluntarily… messages for a specific type of content. But then in order for you to scan for a specific type of content, you still check the whole message.”

That distinction matters. A narrow legal purpose still requires broad technical access. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin made a similar point in July, when he called the revival a cybersecurity risk for everyone.

Why Encryption Sits Next in Line

Apps that use end-to-end encryption cannot comply with the same logic. Providers would first have to decrypt the traffic. As a result, the debate no longer stops at content moderation.

Savova framed the direction of travel bluntly.

“I would say people should already be worried, but it… has the potential to get much worse.”

Meanwhile, Brussels keeps widening its digital enforcement toolkit. Officials have also flagged VPNs as a loophole in age verification rules. Each file targets a different problem. Together, however, they point one way.

Crypto users face a specific exposure here. Wallet recovery flows, seed phrase backups, and trading group chats all travel over the same consumer apps. Savova noted that file storage falls inside the same scope, not just live chat.

Scale makes the difference. Voluntary scanning covers a narrow category of known material today. A mandate would apply the same machinery to every conversation, on every platform, without suspicion.

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The Legal Line Nobody Has Drawn Yet

Marina Markezic, co-founder and executive director of the European Ethereum Institute, argues that the constitutional test has not changed. Digital access simply feels lighter than a physical search.

“But the legal principles and the principles that we have adopted over the years in… our constitutions are still standing. So no matter if it’s the access to our apartments, if it’s access to our communications…”

Supporters of the rules make the opposite case. Child protection groups argue that platforms already hold the data, so targeted scanning adds little new intrusion. European Commission officials have repeatedly said the goal stays limited to abuse material.

Still, the technical answer decides the outcome. Encryption either holds for everyone or breaks for everyone. Consequently, the next negotiation rounds in autumn will matter more than the language on paper.

Users can act now. Choosing apps that publish their encryption model, and moving sensitive files off consumer chat, both reduce exposure well before any final vote. Savova and Markezic plan to keep tracking the negotiations through the autumn rounds.

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