Is Data Privacy at Risk?

August 11, 2026

Cybersecurity expert Dimitrios Simos criticizes the proposed EU regulation and warns of consequences for data privacy and encryption.

Cybersecurity expert Dimitrios Simos of the University of Salzburg warns of the potential consequences of the planned EU regulation “Chat Control 2.” In his view, mandatory age verification, AI-powered message analysis, and interference with encrypted communications could jeopardize data protection, freedom of information, and fundamental digital rights.

The European Parliament has extended the temporary exemption from the ePrivacy rules - known as Chat Control 1.0—until April 3, 2028. The regulation allows the automated scanning of digital communications to detect child sexual abuse online.

Negotiations are ongoing at the EU regarding the successor regulation, “Chat Control 2.0.” While the current regulation permits voluntary scanning of messages, the controversial draft contains more far-reaching measures. Critics warn of an expansion of government surveillance capabilities and see the confidentiality of private communications as being at risk.

One of these critics is Dimitrios Simos, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Salzburg. Together with numerous international cybersecurity researchers, he warns that Chat Control 2 could lead to far-reaching surveillance of private digital communications.

Simos is particularly critical of mandatory age verification. This could lead to restrictions on privacy technologies such as VPNs, thereby hindering the free and anonymous use of the internet.

In his view, “Chat Control 2” is particularly controversial. Among other things, the proposal calls for mandatory verification of messages directly on users’ devices, as well as AI-powered content analysis. According to Simos, this would fundamentally undermine end-to-end encryption and create significant risks to privacy and cybersecurity. For example, age verification that complies with data protection regulations is virtually impossible to implement with currently available technologies, as it would require the use of biometric, behavioral, or contextual data.

Fundamentally, Simos advocates against weakening encryption in favor of new surveillance measures. “Cybersecurity should be strengthened, surveillance practices made transparent, and societal debates held on the balance between security and fundamental rights,” said the cybersecurity expert.

The crucial political debate on the planned successor regulation, Chat Control 2.0, is expected to take place this fall.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Simos

Joint Professor Cybersecurity

Universität Salzburg I Fachbereich Informatik

Jakob-Haringer-Straße 2 I 5020 Salzburg I Austria

Tel: +43 662 8044-6339

E-Mail an Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Simos