Petition · Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Ban client side scanning (CSS) of private communications on personal devices

Open for signatures 346 signatures

What the petition asks

We ask the government to:
- Prohibit any requirement for client side scanning on consumer devices.
- Reaffirm its commitment to safeguarding democratic freedoms, protecting human rights, and preserving the security of its citizens’ digital communications.
In our view, CSS is mass surveillance that could scan every private message, eroding the privacy rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and undermining democratic liberty. We believe that technically, it creates a universal backdoor: any state or malicious actor could exploit the on device scanning technology, exposing personal, financial and health data. We do not believe that enabling scanning technology that only targets illegal content is possible; once the code exists, it can be repurposed, and our privacy no longer exists.

Timeline

23 Feb 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 346
Status Open for signatures
Department Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Opened 23 Feb 2026

Follow this petition

Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.

Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.