European Parliament approves mass scanning of private communications
The European Parliament has approved Chat Control 1.0, allowing mass scanning of communications without a court order. Critics compare it to North Korea and China.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Chat Control gets the green light: Europe opts for mass surveillance
With 322 votes in favour and 255 against, the European Parliament has approved Chat Control 1.0, a regulation that allows the systematic scanning of private communications. The measure, rejected twice before, slipped through during a period of low attendance. While Brussels sells the law as a tool against child prono, critics see a step towards totalitarian surveillance, comparable to the practices of authoritarian regimes.
Former Member of the European Parliament Dr. Patrick Breyer has denounced that the law opens the door to any comment on social media leading to a police visit, as already happens in the United Kingdom. And with good reason: the text allows authorities to scan messages, photos and videos without a prior court order.
Reactions were not long in coming. While some propose digital self-defence measures – private encryption, air-gapped computers, dead drops – others resort to irony: perhaps the future is paper and courier, like the Olivetti typewriters still used by some intelligence agencies. But the comparison with China and its WeChat system, where the State controls every move, hangs over the debate: is this the model Europe wants?
With the approval of Chat Control 1.0, freedom of expression in the EU faces its greatest challenge in decades. Technology keeps advancing, but the uncomfortable question remains: who watches the watchmen?
With 322 votes in favour and 255 against, the European Parliament has approved Chat Control 1.0, a regulation that allows the systematic scanning of private communications. The measure, rejected twice before, slipped through during a period of low attendance. While Brussels sells the law as a tool against child prono, critics see a step towards totalitarian surveillance, comparable to the practices of authoritarian regimes.
Former Member of the European Parliament Dr. Patrick Breyer has denounced that the law opens the door to any comment on social media leading to a police visit, as already happens in the United Kingdom. And with good reason: the text allows authorities to scan messages, photos and videos without a prior court order.
Reactions were not long in coming. While some propose digital self-defence measures – private encryption, air-gapped computers, dead drops – others resort to irony: perhaps the future is paper and courier, like the Olivetti typewriters still used by some intelligence agencies. But the comparison with China and its WeChat system, where the State controls every move, hangs over the debate: is this the model Europe wants?
With the approval of Chat Control 1.0, freedom of expression in the EU faces its greatest challenge in decades. Technology keeps advancing, but the uncomfortable question remains: who watches the watchmen?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (13 replies).
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