FRA, 2026
11
May
2026

Encryption and concerns about access to private online communication – people’s views across the EU

The ability to communicate freely and privately online is protected under Article 7 of the EU Charter; it is a crucial enabler of other fundamental rights, particularly as the world becomes increasingly digital. This paper presents results from an EU-wide survey about people’s views on encryption of their private online communication. It looks, for example, at concern regarding access by outside actors to information shared when using private messaging applications. The results indicate that people highly value encryption and at the same time have concerns about online communications being accessed without their knowledge or permission. It provides a timely evidence base to shape policy discussions on internal security and digital privacy.

A significant share of people in the EU are concerned about information from their private online communication being accessed without their knowledge or permission – such as when using WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage or other private messaging applications/direct messaging: 

  • 62 % are concerned about their private communication being accessed by criminals.
  • Almost half of the people in the EU are concerned about access to their private communication by foreign governments (49 %) or businesses (47%). 
  • Some two in five (ranging from 37 to 42 %) people are concerned about access by law enforcement, their national government, or their country’s secret or intelligence services.
  • The degree of concern varies significantly among Member States. For example, concern over access by law enforcement without people’s knowledge or permission ranges from 11 % to 58 %.

Three in four people (77 %) in the EU view the use of encryption to protect one’s private online communication as very or fairly important:

  • 45 % consider the use of encryption as very important. By comparison, only 12 % do not consider it as important.
  • Encryption is considered as important by the majority of people in all EU Member States. However, the share of people who see it as important varies among Member States, from 53 % to 89 %.
  • The importance attached to encryption is higher among those who expressed concern about various actors accessing their private online communications without their knowledge or permission, as well as among people who use the internet frequently.