Prague – Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) has rejected a proposal to monitor online communications to combat child pornography and child abuse, expressing concerns about potential misuse that would infringe on the privacy of millions. He made this statement today on the social platform X. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN) noted on the same platform that there is currently no majority support for the initiative within the European Union. Their responses followed a report from Novinky.cz about the so-called chat control.
“On behalf of myself and the entire coalition Together, I want to clearly state: we will not permit the monitoring of citizens’ private communications. We do not agree with allowing surveillance of all emails or messages on platforms such as WhatsApp or Messenger,” stated the Prime Minister. He emphasized the importance of protecting children but insisted that it must be done through other means, cautioning against violating the privacy of millions. “This approach is dangerous and can be abused, which is why we have rejected it thus far and will continue to do so,” he added.
Rakušan confirmed that the Czech Republic will not support “chat control” in its current form, stating, “At this moment, there isn’t a qualified majority of member states in favor of this measure.”
Radek Vondráček, Deputy Chairman of the opposition ANO movement, expressed on X that state surveillance contradicts Western values. “Such actions are realistically dragging us toward the East. The ANO movement has long advocated for the preservation of civil liberties and will continue to do so. ANO is pro-Western!” he asserted.
The chat control proposal, initiated by the European Commission in 2022 to address child sexual abuse, would legally oblige online service providers—including chat applications, social networks, and data storage services—to scan messages and stored files for harmful content using algorithms. Providers would be mandated to report any materials related to child pornography or child abuse to the appropriate authorities. Critics argue that this constitutes mass surveillance and is incompatible with democratic principles, risking the privacy of EU citizens. (August 26)
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