Peter Agius supports students’ petition against EU’s ‘ChatControl’ law

MEP Peter Agius has voiced his support for a new parliamentary petition launched by Students For Liberty Malta, which calls on the government and Malta’s representatives in Brussels to oppose the European Union’s controversial ChatControl law requiring the scanning of private digital communications.

“People have had enough of an intrusive Europe, which seems to want to regulate every aspect of their lives without sufficient concern for our liberties. Europe was founded on a strong desire for liberty and peace. I will make sure to reflect that in representing you as MEP for Malta and Gozo. I will also be active in the negotiations on this proposed legislation in the European Parliament to safeguard our liberties in private communications and the digital world,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The petition argues that the “ChatControl” law 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 recognised, Students For Liberty Malta said the proposal may harm digital safety by introducing systemic backdoors or vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.

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 weaknesses into Europe’s digital infrastructure.

The organisation also raised concerns that certain public officials, including politicians and EU staff, would be exempt from the proposed law. 
This, they said, creates a double standard in which ordinary citizens are subject to surveillance while those in positions of power remain protected, eroding public trust in democratic institutions and the principle of equality before the law.

So far, the petition has reached 1,400 signatures in just two weeks, surpassing the proposed threshold of 800. 

Students For Liberty Malta said it will continue collecting signatures across Mata including at the University of Malta and six other schools.

The petition closes on 23 November 2025.