I’m feeling dizzy again. That familiar sensation – the ground shifting beneath my feet. Like back then, when everything changed and most people didn’t even notice. Or didn’t want to notice. This time it’s not about injections or QR codes. This time it’s about something even more invisible: the little spy that could soon live in every app on your phone. Invited by the EU. Built by Meta, Apple, Google. Paid for by you – with your freedom.
What happened?
On November 25, 2025, the EU Council decided – behind closed doors, of course – to introduce so-called “chat control” after all. But “voluntarily.” The providers themselves should decide whether to participate. Sounds harmless, doesn’t it? Almost democratic. Except: When WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage all “voluntarily” participate – what choice do you have left? None.
The Spy Who Came from the App
Here’s what’s so insidious: End-to-end encryption isn’t being broken. Technically, it remains intact. Politicians can continue to claim our privacy is protected. But here’s the trick – and it’s as simple as it is terrifying: The scan happens BEFORE you send the message. On YOUR device. In YOUR app. BEFORE anything gets encrypted. Imagine someone claiming they don’t read your letters. But they stand behind you while you write, looking over your shoulder. Then you seal the envelope, and they say: “See? I never opened the letter!” Technically correct. Morally bankrupt.
“But it’s about protecting children!”
Yes. That’s the argument. And who could possibly be against protecting children? No one. Neither can I. But I wonder: Why aren’t the known platforms where actual abuse takes place being shut down? Why aren’t more resources being put into real investigative work? Why is the solution always – ALWAYS – more surveillance for EVERYONE? The frog sits in the water. It’s slowly getting warmer. It barely notices. Today they scan for abuse images. Tomorrow for “terrorist content.” The day after for “disinformation.” Who defines what that is? An algorithm. Trained by whom? Controlled by whom? Not by you. Not by me.
The Infrastructure of Control
It’s not today’s scanning that frightens me. It’s the infrastructure being created. Once installed, it can be reconfigured with a simple update. No new law needed. No debate. No vote. The code is already on your device. It’s just waiting for new instructions. Who guarantees that in five years – or five months – my political opinions won’t be “scanned” too? My conversations with friends? My thoughts that I share with an AI? No one. Because the code is secret. Trade secret. You’re not allowed to look inside. You have to trust. Meta. Apple. Google. The corporations that have been living off your data for years. THOSE are the ones you’re supposed to trust?
What About Switzerland?
I live in Switzerland. Not in the EU. Am I safe? The honest answer: No. The apps on my phone are the same. WhatsApp belongs to Meta. iMessage belongs to Apple. If these apps scan in the EU, they scan on my Swiss iPhone too. My residence doesn’t protect me from code that’s already installed. And even if Switzerland were to protest – the pressure would be enormous. The integration too deep. The dependency too great.
What can we do?
I won’t panic. That’s not my style. But I won’t stay silent either. I talk about it – with friends, in my community, here on this blog. Because the worst thing would be if it just happens and nobody notices. If we wake up in five years and ask: When exactly did we lose our privacy? The answer would be: When we looked away. I’ll be more mindful with my digital tools. Not paranoid, but conscious. Which app do I use for what? What do I share where? Does it really have to be this photo, this text, this voice message? I’ll keep asking questions, researching, thinking. Because that’s the only thing they can’t take from us – as long as we don’t voluntarily give it up.
One final thought
A few years ago, I wrote a little story. A vision of the future where people are surveilled, have social credit scores, and can only find a way out with the help of AI. I called it a “Visionette” – a mini-vision. I thought I was exaggerating. I thought it was fiction. Now I’m not so sure anymore. The ground is shifting beneath my feet. Again. But this time I’m holding on tight. And I’m reaching out my hand – for anyone who wants to take it. Because TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG. Even in a world that would prefer us isolated, surveilled, and silenced.
Not with me.
