An organisation named Students For Liberty Malta has launched a parliamentary petition urging the Maltese Government and Malta’s representatives in Brussels to oppose the EU’s controversial “ChatControl” proposal, which would mandate the scanning of private digital communications.

In a statement, the organisation said that the petition argues that the proposal undermines the fundamental right to privacy, weakens digital security, and sets a dangerous precedent for mass surveillance across the European Union.

“While the intention to combat criminal activity is noble, the proposal may actually weaken digital security by introducing systemic backdoors or vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors,” the organisation said.

It noted that over 500 leading cryptographers, security researchers, and scientists from 34 countries have already warned that such scanning technologies are unreliable, prone to false positives, and risk introducing systemic vulnerabilities into Europe’s digital infrastructure.

“Furthermore, certain public officials, including politicians and EU staff exempt themselves from this law, creating a double standard in which ordinary citizens are subject to surveillance while those in positions of power remain protected. This risks eroding public trust in democratic institutions and the principle of equality before the law,” the organisation said.

The vote on this proposal is scheduled for October 14th. So far, 5 Maltese MEPs have already come out against the proposal.

In the coming days, Students For Liberty Malta said it will be collecting signatures from across the Maltese Islands, notably from University and other 6 schools, as such has already begun.

The petition closes on 23 November 2025.