Privacy concerns are mounting across Europe as the European Union edges closer to approving a controversial surveillance proposal known as “Chat Control”. With support from 19 of the 27 EU member states, the measure would require messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram to scan every message, image, and video shared by users—even if end-to-end encryption is active.
As the debate intensifies, Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) founder Dominic Williams has weighed in, urging decentralised messaging app OpenChat to use ICP’s vetKey cryptography to safeguard privacy. His call comes at a time when digital rights groups, privacy advocates and technologists are raising alarm bells over what they see as a sweeping expansion of state surveillance.
“People don’t want their chat messages forwarded to Big Brother whenever AI makes a mistake,” Williams posted. He encouraged the OpenChat community to “ride this wave” by integrating ICP’s vetKey crypto technology to ensure “bulletproof privacy and security”. Williams also pointed out that OpenChat is already “a 100% decentralised app under DAO control”, and that now is the time to double down on that promise.
The proposal itself has been reintroduced by Denmark, marking a shift in pace and direction under its EU Council presidency, which began on 1 July. France, once a vocal critic of the plan, now supports it. Other nations backing the proposal include Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain. Germany remains undecided, but if it aligns with the current majority, the EU could pass the legislation through a qualified majority vote as early as mid-October.
To reach that threshold, two conditions must be met: at least 15 countries must vote in favour, and those countries must collectively represent at least 65 percent of the EU’s population.
Campaigners have warned that the measure could introduce blanket surveillance across the bloc and weaken trust in encrypted platforms. Messaging services that once promised secure, private communication would be forced to scan content pre-emptively, flagging material before it ever reaches a recipient.
Supporters of the proposal argue that the mechanism is intended to detect and prevent child abuse material and criminal communications. However, critics argue that this approach treats all users as potential suspects and blurs the line between targeted policing and mass surveillance.
Signal and Telegram have already signalled they may withdraw from the EU if the regulation passes in its current form, citing technical and ethical objections. Signal president Meredith Whittaker previously warned that “breaking encryption makes everyone less safe”, while Telegram’s Pavel Durov has referred to similar measures as “dangerous”.
Meanwhile, OpenChat, a decentralised chat platform built on ICP, has become a quiet frontrunner for those seeking alternatives. Fully operated through a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO), OpenChat gives users direct governance powers. Dominic Williams’ appeal to this community, paired with the proposal of using vetKey tech, is being seen by some as an attempt to position ICP as a privacy-first infrastructure amid tightening regulations.
vetKey, short for verifiable encryption threshold keys, is part of ICP’s cryptographic stack designed to allow on-chain control of access to encrypted content. According to ICP developers, this could allow OpenChat to implement robust, decentralised encryption without relying on traditional server-based architecture, making it harder for authorities to enforce content scanning.
The EU Council’s final vote on the matter will be watched closely—not just by governments and tech companies, but by millions of users who rely on private messaging every day. For them, the stakes are personal. The question now is whether regulatory ambitions will overpower public demand for confidentiality in private communication, or whether decentralised platforms like OpenChat can offer a genuine alternative.
As more developers look to shift away from conventional server systems and towards on-chain infrastructure, Dominic Williams’ comment seems less like a general warning and more like a timely suggestion. Whether OpenChat will embrace vetKey tech remains to be seen, but the pressure on messaging apps to pick a side in this privacy tug-of-war is undeniably growing.
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