Vitalik Buterin Slams EU’s Chat Control Regulation as Threat to Digital Privacy

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has strongly criticized the European Union’s proposed Chat Control regulation, warning that it would endanger digital privacy and security. The regulation, officially called the Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse (CSAR), would require messaging platforms — including encrypted services — to scan private communications for signs of child exploitation.

Buterin argued that the policy, though framed as child protection, undermines the very foundation of secure communication. “You cannot make society secure by making people insecure. We all deserve privacy and security, without inevitably hackable backdoors, for our private communications,” he said. According to him, weakening encryption introduces vulnerabilities that hackers and malicious actors can easily exploit.

Instead of blanket surveillance, Buterin stressed the need for “common-sense policing,” pointing out that intercepted data often becomes a prime target for cyberattacks. He highlighted examples where government-mandated surveillance databases were hacked, exposing sensitive information. For him, true safety lies in strengthening both physical and digital environments, not in creating systemic weaknesses.

Buterin also emphasized the hypocrisy of the proposal, citing leaked reports showing that EU ministers sought surveillance exemptions for government, military, and police staff. Privacy advocates argue that if lawmakers themselves refuse to be subject to monitoring, it proves the system is dangerous. “Any surveillance system lawmakers won’t subject themselves to is automatically tyrannical,” said Pratam Rao, co-founder of blockchain security firm QuillAudits.

Opposition to the proposal has gained traction across Europe, with advocacy groups like FightChatControl.eu leading the charge. Currently, only seven EU member states, including Austria, Finland, and the Netherlands, have formally rejected the plan, while 12 countries such as France, Spain, and Denmark support it. Key nations like Germany and Italy remain undecided.

Buterin urged EU citizens to resist the regulation, insisting that digital privacy is as essential as the freedom once enjoyed in face-to-face conversations or cash transactions. His stance reflects a growing concern that Chat Control could erode fundamental rights under the guise of child protection.