Today, the final negotiations on Chat Control 2.0 begin between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU. Although the requirement for mandatory scanning (including end-to-end encrypted messaging services) has been removed, several problematic elements remain in the Council's position. For instance, the Council wants to demand identity verification to use messaging services (including end-to-end encrypted). This would pose significant risks to dissidents, whistleblowers, and others, and create a chilling effect on free speech. We hope the European Parliament stands firm against any wording that paves the way for mass surveillance and censorship. Cyprus, currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, aims to conclude the negotiations by June. A reminder of the corrupt backstory behind the Chat Control proposal and the involvement of Ashton Kutcher and his company Thorn: