From Chat Control to Robot Control: Implications of the Chat Control Proposal for Human-Robot Interaction

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Akalin, Neziha, Giaretta, Alberto
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Akalin, Neziha
Giaretta, Alberto
author_facet Akalin, Neziha
Giaretta, Alberto
contents This paper explores how a recent European Union proposal, the so-called Chat Control, which creates regulatory incentives for providers to implement content detection and communication scanning, could transform the foundations of human-robot interaction (HRI). As robots increasingly act as interpersonal communication channels in care, education, and telepresence, they convey not only speech but also gesture, emotion, and contextual cues. We argue that extending digital surveillance laws to such embodied systems would entail continuous monitoring, embedding observation into the very design of everyday robots. This regulation blurs the line between protection and control, turning companions into potential informants. At the same time, monitoring mechanisms that undermine end-to-end encryption function as de facto backdoors, expanding the attack surface and allowing adversaries to exploit legally induced monitoring infrastructures. This creates a paradox of safety through insecurity: systems introduced to protect users may instead compromise their privacy, autonomy, and trust. This work does not aim to predict the future, but to raise awareness and help prevent certain futures from materialising.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_02205
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle From Chat Control to Robot Control: Implications of the Chat Control Proposal for Human-Robot Interaction
Akalin, Neziha
Giaretta, Alberto
Computers and Society
Cryptography and Security
Human-Computer Interaction
This paper explores how a recent European Union proposal, the so-called Chat Control, which creates regulatory incentives for providers to implement content detection and communication scanning, could transform the foundations of human-robot interaction (HRI). As robots increasingly act as interpersonal communication channels in care, education, and telepresence, they convey not only speech but also gesture, emotion, and contextual cues. We argue that extending digital surveillance laws to such embodied systems would entail continuous monitoring, embedding observation into the very design of everyday robots. This regulation blurs the line between protection and control, turning companions into potential informants. At the same time, monitoring mechanisms that undermine end-to-end encryption function as de facto backdoors, expanding the attack surface and allowing adversaries to exploit legally induced monitoring infrastructures. This creates a paradox of safety through insecurity: systems introduced to protect users may instead compromise their privacy, autonomy, and trust. This work does not aim to predict the future, but to raise awareness and help prevent certain futures from materialising.
title From Chat Control to Robot Control: Implications of the Chat Control Proposal for Human-Robot Interaction
topic Computers and Society
Cryptography and Security
Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02205