The European Union is pushing a task that can forever change the scenery of digital privacy in Europe. Under the pretext of combating crime, Brussels is working on regulations known as "chat control", which in practice could mean The confidentiality of our conversations is over. on popular communicators specified as WhatsApp, Messenger or Signal. Cybersecurity experts and digital rights defenders are beating the alarm, informing of the creation of a mass surveillance strategy that will affect all of us.
The European Commission's proposal involves requiring technology companies to scan private encrypted user messages in search of illegal content, mainly kid abuse materials. Although the goal is noble, the method of achieving it is controversial. In order for the strategy to work, it will be essential to weaken or completely break end-to-end encryptionwhich present is the foundation for the safety of digital communication. This opens Pandora's box, threatening not only the privacy but besides the safety of millions of EU citizens.
What is “chat control” and why is it threatening your privacy?
The "chat control" task is the common name of a legislative proposal aimed at preventing and combating the sexual abuse of children online. In theory, the fresh law is to give services tools to identify and remove harmful content. In practice, however, its implementation would require communication service providers specified as Meta (owner of WhatsApp and Messenger) or the creator of Signal, built-in scanning mechanisms In your applications.
The problem is that the presently utilized end-to-end encryption guarantees that only the sender and the recipient can read the message. No 1 else – even the service supplier – has access to it. To let scanning, companies would gotta make so-called. ‘backdoors’ in their systems. This means intentionally introducing a safety gap that would let algorithms (and possibly besides people) to analyse the content of our conversations, photos and files. This is simply a fundamental challenge to trust, on which safe network communication is based.
The consequences are far-reaching. Scanning would be subject not only to messages from suspects of crime, but to communication of absolutely all users. That means that Your individual conversations with your family, confidential business papers or medical records could be analysed by an automated strategy that, like any algorithm, is prone to errors and false alarms.
Back door for encryption. Experts alert: this is an invitation for hackers
Cryptography and cybersecurity experts agree: it is impossible to make a safe ‘back door’. Any deliberately introduced vulnerability in the encryption strategy is simply a possible mark for cyber criminals, alien interviews and authoritarian regimes. Bruce Schneider, a world-famous safety expert, has repeatedly stressed that it is impossible to make a rear door just for the good ones. As shortly as specified a mechanics arises, it becomes a substance of time erstwhile it will be utilized by wrongdoers.
The developers of applications specified as Signal and Threema have already announced that they will sooner retreat their services from the European marketplace than agree to weaken encryption. In their opinion, the introduction of mandatory scanning would destruct the foundations of their activities, based on a warrant of privacy and security. Encryption weakness for all in order to catch a fewer criminals, it is, according to them, a disproportionate and highly dangerous approach. In practice, this means millions of honest citizens will lose a safe communication tool, becoming more susceptible to hacking, identity theft and corporate espionage.
The introduction of specified a law would be a digital precedent on a global scale. A Europe which has so far been seen as a leader in the protection of individual data (thanks to the GDPR) could become a region in which State supervision of communication is sanctioned legally. This is simply a simple way to erode trust in technology and public institutions.
Who will be targeted? The strategy covers everyone, not just criminals
Politicians and regulators guarantee that only criminals are targeted. However, the nature of the proposed solution makes it impossible. The scanning strategy must include in order to be effective from the point of view of its creators absolutely all users. There is no method anticipation of limiting its operation to suspects only. This means that any message you send, photograph or file will be possibly analysed.
The European Digital Rights (EDRi) warns that this is equivalent to treating all citizen as a possible suspect. It's a reversal of the fundamental rule of the presumption of innocence. Moreover, scanning algorithms are not infallible. They may misinterpret a joke, sarcastic attention, or a vacation photograph as a suspicious content, triggering procedures that may lead to serious and irreversible consequences for innocent people – from blocking the account to starting criminal proceedings.
Digital rights defenders stress that the fight against crime is highly important, but cannot be at the expense of fundamental rights and civilian liberties. There are other, little invasive methods, specified as strengthening global cooperation between services, education, and operational work. The ‘chat control’ proposal takes a shortcut that can bring more harm than good in the long term, creating infrastructure for mass controlwhich in the future can be utilized for completely different purposes.
Protests are increasing, but time is moving out. What future awaits Europe?
The European Commission's proposal met with a powerful wave of criticism. Tens of NGOs, safety experts, scientists and technology companies signed open letters calling for task rejection. There are besides cracks at the political level. Countries specified as Germany, Austria, Netherlands or Poland expressed serious reservations about compliance with EU fundamental rights, including the right to privacy and data protection.
Nevertheless, the political force to adopt government is enormous. Decisions on this issue may come this year, and the result of these negotiations will find the future of digital freedom in Europe. If the supporters of "chat control" are on their own, we will face a reality in which private, encrypted communications will cease to exist. all conversation we have will be able to be overheard, and trust in the digital planet will be ruined.
This is simply a crucial minute for all citizens of the European Union. What seems to be a method expert debate present can become a control tool of unprecedented scale tomorrow. Not only is the safety of our data at stake, but the foundation of a democratic society in which citizens have the right to privacy and confidentiality of their correspondence.
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The EU wants to read your news. This is the end of the encryption we know!
