Context: Chat Control 2.0: EU governments set to approve the end of private messaging and secure encryption
“By making a minor concession EU governments hope to find a majority next week to approve the controversial ‘chat control’ bill. According to the proposed child sexual abuse regulation (CSAR), providers of messengers, e-mail and chat services would be forced to automatically search all private messages and photos for suspicious content and report it to the EU. To find a majority for this unprecedented mass surveillance, the EU Council Presidency proposed Tuesday that the scanners would initially search for previously classified CSAM only, and even less reliable technology to classify unknown imagery or conversations would be reserved to a later stage. The proposed „deal“ will be discussed by ambassadors tomorrow and could be adopted by ministers next week.”
A law like this would violate the rights of all EU citizens. The courts would (should!) strike this law down immediately
I sure hope the courts toss that thing. It would be the single worst violation of peoples privacy since the internet became a thing. It’s incredible that lobbyists and police unions have this much impact on policy creation.
Yeah, just like the “Upload Filters”
Poor Axel Voss showed everyone how much of a media company whore he is just to get his biggest lifetime achievement taken down by the EU court because those filters could result in censorship (something that literally everybody told the supporters would happen)
The courts very likely will strike something like this down, but the people responsible know this. Court dealings can take years and during this time our privacy gets violated and some kind of profit is made.
And even when this law is declared illegal the existing data will likely be kept, only new collection is stopped (happened in Germany)
1: “… and then we’ll be able to stop terrorist attacks. Simple”.
2: “ok but if you put a back door into encryption, won’t others be able to find it?"
1: "no we’ll be the only ones with the key. Great huh?“
2: “and you don’t think the key will be leaked or be hacked?”
1: “I said we’ll be the only ones with the key.”
2: “so what’s your plan to make sure the key stays secure”
1: “…”
2: “what’s your contingency plan if the key *is * hacked or leaked?”
1:“…”
1: "I SAID WE’LL BE THE ONLY ONES WITH THE KEY. "
2: “…”
1: “don’t you want to protect our children ??”
I never seen it summarized so fucking well. And meanwhile, it happens CONSTANTLY, but they pretend it’s impossible to happen and never has actually happened
With quantum computing around the corner that key is useless. So not only is my data then shared with the EU, china and US will also have a little look
That’s very speculative though. We don’t know yet the effect how large scale quantum computing will have on encryption.
Fun fact: Quantum computers already exist and you can play around with one for free*: https://www.ibm.com/quantum
*Max 10 min of system usage per month.
This seems to be a general theme. Those arguing loudest for better privacy are really saying “only we should be allowed to invade your privacy”. See: Google, Apple, the EU
It’s such a shame though, since as far as I know, the EU have had such an amazing track record. I’d expect no less from big tech, but not the EU.
because (I firmly believe that) it won’t get passed. The Commission doesn’t have a majority yet, and it will be laughed out of the EUP. EVEN IF the EUP votes to pass it, the ECJ ought to step in, because the UNCHR and the European Data Protection Supervisor have already said that it goes against the (human(!)) right of privacy. There is no shot that this will get implemented by 27 member states.
Criminals aren’t going to be using services that comply anyways. They’ll have their own underground ones. This is just a violation of regular citizens rights.
This is a level of bullshit that will straight up make me vote to leave the EU.
Outlawing E2EE should just not be a thing. It just shouldn’t.
As if European state governments aren’t also stupid and would come up with this idea.
The EU sucks sometimes but where ever you live in the EU your gov would totally come up with this on their own…
I will just remind yall that an state in the EU has admitted to having access to the Pegasus spyware.
Pegasus is a program that is used by services combating crime and corruption in many countries…It would be bad if the Polish services did not have this type of tool
- Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party as quoted by the Verge (first article I found)
He is also quoted as saying that claims that Pegasus had been used against political opponents are “utter nonsense”.
The Polish controversy was started when the spyware was found on a opposition members phone.
The Law and Justice party, according to polls (and some Poles), is set to win the largest number of seats in tomorrows election, though they might struggle to form a government.
We are doomed aren’t we.
Well, this is being implemented in the UK separately so I wouldnt be too hasty
One could think you’re proposing this as an alternate solution. It’s not. And Brexit is the biggest proof.
That said implementing backdoors is so backwards it’s creative in the worst way. You basically prepare the tools for a rogue government, rogue government employee, or a knowledgeable malicious actor to grab secure information from the silver plater. It’s the dumbest shit.
No shit. Only reason I bring it up is as a way to illustrate how badly I do not want this.
What a world we live in, when there’s a possibility my use of a private matrix server between family, might become criminal.
There are plans for Matrix to move to P2P someday… I wonder what would happen in that case. Or if we just used https://tox.chat/
Would the regulation apply at all when it’s just a protocol used between the users, with no intermediary or central server offering the service?
One could think you’re proposing this [leaving the EU] as an alternate solution. It’s not. And Brexit is the biggest proof.
This is not a random thing thrown around, though it should be noted that those more involved in this side of “EU bad” usually advocate for remaking the EU, due to the deep systemic issues rather than leaving it. I believe a more mainstream version of this idea is given a stage by Macron (AFAIK he mostly wants to remove the requirement for every country to agree to some things), but moreso from this angle some Pirate Parties (PPP for example) advocate for it.
Quote from PPP’s programee (translated by yours truly, though I focused on translating it as directly as possible so it might sound a bit weird):
More democracy for Europe
We, Pirates, call for a writing of a new EU treaty, which will replace all existing treaties, remove uncertainties and respond to the need of a democratic reform in the EU. This treaty must be accepted by the citizens of the EU via a referendum.
While this is quite different to “we should leave the EU” it reflects the concerns of those who say that due to policies like this. As far as I know, Brexit was caused more by Brits not liking economic policies of the European Union, though I am not that knowledgeable about UK politics.
TL;DR: you can say EU bad while still wanting an EU I guess.
As far as I know, Brexit was caused more by Brits not liking economic policies of the European Union, though I am not that knowledgeable about UK politics.
I’m not that knowledgeable, being an American, but my understanding is that Brexit was mainly the result of racism, and of English people falling for easily disproven lies about the economic impact of EU membership. I’d like to think that what I lack in direct experience of British politics, I make up for with direct experience of the exact same bullshit in American politics.
