They are not. For example, according to Italian Constitution [1], chat control is unconstitutional:

    Art. 15
    Freedom and confidentiality of correspondence and of every other form of
    communication is inviolable.
    Limitations may only be imposed by judicial decision stating the reasons and
    in accordance with the guarantees provided by the law.

[1] https://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costi...

Arbitrary interception of messages is a violation of the constitution in several European countries. The expectation of privacy in messaging is also codified in Article 8 of the ECHR, although with the usual nebulous exceptions.

This is an excerpt of Swedish Regeringsformen[1]:

> Everyone is also protected against body searches, house searches and similar intrusions, as well as against the examination of letters or other confidential mail and against the secret interception or recording of telephone conversations or other confidential messages.

[1] https://lagen.nu/1974:152#K2P6

The speed of communication has changed a little bit, but still, a hard "no" to the government reading everything I say.

Digital communication is more direct speech, including maybe whispering, than it is writing a letter.

You can't break encryption "only sometimes"

You mean to the indiscriminate reading of ALL the letters without the court order?

Ummmmm....yeah? You don't? It's enough the metadata is collected already.