European Union governments have revived the so-called “Chat Control” regulation, a draft law that would compel messaging services to scan all user communications—including content protected by end-to-end encryption—for child-abuse material. Civil-liberties advocates say the proposal amounts to mass surveillance and would weaken digital security across the bloc’s 450 million residents. A decisive Council vote has been set for 14 October 2025. Diplomats familiar with the negotiations say only three member states—Austria, the Netherlands and Poland—have formally declared they will vote against the measure. The plan is being driven by a coalition of Danish and Swedish Social Democrats, joined by the governments of Hungary and Slovenia. The renewed push in Brussels comes as policymakers world-wide debate the limits of encrypted communications. Privacy groups warn that any mandate for client-side scanning would create systemic vulnerabilities, while law-enforcement bodies argue it is necessary to combat online child exploitation. Technology companies have not publicly commented on the latest EU timetable.