- The EU proposal, known as 'chat control', mandates client-side scanning on chat apps to detect known/unknown child sexual abuse material and grooming, with automatic reporting to EU center and local police.
- False positives are a major concern; even a 0.1% error rate would generate vast numbers of incorrect reports, burdening authorities and potentially causing family disruption and wrongful investigations.
- Cybersecurity risks include software vulnerabilities, potential for malicious actors to trigger false reports, and the buildup of a central EU database of user content that could be hacked.
- The author argues the net effect on child welfare may be negative, as false reports can lead to serious harm, and suggests family-based alternatives where reports go to parents instead of authorities.