EU Chat Control vote triggers 1,770% surge in proxy usage

Businesses across Europe have quietly begun restructuring their communications infrastructure ahead of the EU's controversial Chat Control vote scheduled for October 14, 2025. New data reveals an unprecedented 1,770% increase in SOCKS5 proxy usage since initial discussions of the legislation in May 2022, signaling private sector concerns about mandatory surveillance requirements and encryption vulnerabilities.

The proposal aims to require technology companies to scan private messages for illegal content such as child sexual abuse material. However, the technical implementation creates what many security experts view as systematic weaknesses in encrypted communications. This tension between child protection objectives and data security has divided EU member states, delaying the vote multiple times through September 2025.

Denmark leads adoption surge

Denmark recorded the highest increase in proxy usage at 1,026% from May 2022 to September 2025. Austria followed with a 314% increase, while Spain showed 140% growth during the same period. The EU average stood at 274%, with Sweden at 32%, Italy at 62%, and Germany at 68%.

Daily usage patterns show particularly dramatic shifts. From January 2025 through September 2025, daily proxy usage surged nearly 19-fold, with the most pronounced spike occurring in August 2025. The timing corresponds with heightened political debate over the legislation's passage.

"While Chat Control is mainly focused on protecting users, businesses will end up with heavy lifting when it comes to compliance costs, technical overhauls, and all the implementation challenges that come with mandatory surveillance systems," noted Gabrielė Verbickaitė, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Decodo.

Technical implementation creates vulnerabilities

The legislation relies on client-side scanning technology. Messages would be examined on devices before encryption occurs, comparing content against databases containing digital fingerprints of known illegal material. Artificial intelligence systems would analyze both previously flagged content and new material, while also scanning text messages for patterns suggesting illegal behavior.

Any company charging for communication services would face these requirements. Services offering anonymity, encryption, or real-time messaging would automatically receive "high-risk" designation, effectively encompassing every major messaging platform and communication tool.

Justinas Tamaševičius, Head of Engineering at Decodo, explained the security implications: "Instead of your messages going straight from your device into encrypted form, they first get scanned by detection systems. During that scanning process, your data is completely exposed and accessible. Hackers, bad actors, and cybercriminals are well aware of these vulnerabilities and will actively work to exploit them."

The approach creates what security professionals describe as a permanent weak point in communications infrastructure. Data must remain accessible during the scanning phase, before encryption protections activate. This window of exposure did not exist in end-to-end encrypted systems prior to Chat Control requirements.

Business sectors respond differently

Finance, healthcare, and technology companies have led the adoption of proxy solutions. These sectors handle particularly sensitive information requiring robust security frameworks. Trade secrets, customer data, financial transactions, and proprietary research all depend on secure communications channels.

The proxy surge reflects a broader pattern of businesses seeking alternatives to protect data while anticipating regulatory changes. SOCKS5 proxies offer cross-protocol support, broad geographic access, and compatibility with existing TLS/SSL security protections. Before Chat Control discussions began, only a small fraction of businesses utilized this protocol.

Cloud platforms hosting communication services face complex compliance questions. Major providers including those operated by companies like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and similar organizations would need to restructure service offerings to accommodate mandatory scanning requirements while attempting to maintain security for business customers.

Questions include which party bears responsibility for customer compliance with scanning requirements, what technical capabilities platforms must develop for supporting client-side scanning, and how data residency rules interact with scanning infrastructure requirements.

Several member states test restrictions

Some EU countries have already implemented measures affecting encrypted communications. Austria now allows intelligence agencies to intercept encrypted messages. Spain has proposed banning end-to-end encryption entirely. Sweden has considered granting law enforcement access to encrypted data.

The proxy usage increases measured from May 2022 to September 2025 show which jurisdictions have prompted the strongest business response to evolving regulations. Companies use proxies to shield browsing habits, safeguard research, and maintain confidentiality while regulations continue developing.

Compliance costs mount

Implementation expenses extend beyond technical modifications. Systematic backdoors into encrypted communications, which client-side scanning effectively creates, introduce attack vectors that did not previously exist. Tamaševičius continued: "The irony is that while Chat Control aims to make digital spaces safer, the technical implementation may actually make businesses and their customers less secure overall. You're essentially being required to weaken your own security posture in the name of compliance, creating new risks that may outweigh the intended benefits."

Automated content scanning produces false positives, consuming compliance resources for investigation and resolution. Legal uncertainty arises from potential conflicts between Chat Control requirements and GDPR principles around data minimization and privacy rights. Reputational concerns emerge when businesses appear complicit in surveillance activities.

Some organizations face pressure to restrict services to EU users, modify privacy features, or relocate operations to avoid compliance burdens. These strategic decisions carry significant costs beyond direct technical implementation.

Regulatory context expands

The Chat Control debate occurs amid broader European data protection developments. The European Data Protection Board adopted Guidelines 3/2025 on September 11, 2025, addressing how digital marketers must navigate intersections between the Digital Services Act and GDPR. These guidelines create additional compliance layers affecting how businesses handle personal data.

GDPR enforcement patterns have shown considerable variation among national authorities. Between 2018 and 2023, only 1.3% of cases resulted in monetary penalties, though recent actions suggest increasing regulatory focus. McDonald's Poland received a €3.89 million fine on July 21, 2025, for processor oversight failures, while Spanish authorities ordered a business data firm to delete records covering over 1.6 million individuals in January 2025.

The marketing community has particular interest in these developments. Advertising technology platforms utilize machine learning for audience targeting and campaign optimization. Age verification requirements announced by the European Data Protection Board on February 11, 2025, establish additional technical constraints. Pseudonymized data disclosure rules awaiting a European court ruling set for September 4 could fundamentally change how companies assess disclosure obligations.

Blockchain implementations face detailed compliance frameworks, while CNIL finalized recommendations on July 26, 2025, for AI system development under GDPR. These parallel regulatory efforts compound complexity for businesses managing communications infrastructure.

Opportunities amid constraints

Organizations taking proactive positions may gain competitive advantages. Strengthening privacy, transparency, and security practices reinforces customer trust. Companies that turn regulatory compliance into differentiation can establish market positions as privacy leaders.

Innovation in encryption, anonymization, and secure communication technologies may accelerate. Industry engagement to shape practical implementation standards offers influence over how requirements translate into operational realities.

Digital rights organization NOYB gained EU-wide authority for collective data protection cases through approvals granted on December 2, 2024, and October 11, 2024. This mechanism enables coordinated legal action across member states, potentially affecting systematic violations of data protection regulations.

Timeline

• May 2022: Initial Chat Control discussions begin in EU Council
• December 2, 2024: Austrian Federal Cartel Attorney approves NOYB for collective redress actions
• January 2025: Spain orders business data firm to delete 1.6 million records
• February 11, 2025: European Data Protection Board adopts age verification guidelines
• April 19, 2025: Analysis reveals EU procedural regulation complications
• July 16, 2025: EDPB publishes blockchain processing guidelines
• July 21, 2025: Poland imposes €3.89 million GDPR fine on McDonald's
• July 26, 2025: CNIL finalizes AI development recommendations
• August 2025: Proxy usage experiences most pronounced spike
• September 11, 2025: EDPB adopts Guidelines 3/2025 on DSA-GDPR intersection
• September 24, 2025: Decodo publishes analysis on Chat Control business impact
• September 30, 2025: Decodo releases data showing 1,770% proxy usage increase
• October 14, 2025: EU Council scheduled to vote on Chat Control proposal

Summary

Who: Businesses across the European Union, particularly in Denmark, Austria, Spain, and Germany, along with cloud platform providers and companies in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors

What: A 1,770% increase in SOCKS5 proxy usage since May 2022, driven by preparations for the EU Chat Control proposal requiring client-side scanning of encrypted messages

When: The surge occurred between May 2022 and September 2025, with the most dramatic spike in daily usage happening in August 2025, ahead of the scheduled October 14, 2025 vote

Where: Throughout EU member states, with Denmark recording the highest increase at 1,026%, followed by Austria at 314%, Spain at 140%, and an EU average of 274%

Why: Companies seek to protect sensitive communications and maintain data security in response to Chat Control requirements that would create vulnerabilities in encryption through mandatory scanning before messages are encrypted, potentially conflicting with GDPR obligations and creating new attack vectors for malicious actors