Critics have strongly denounced the European Union’s latest proposals for chat control aimed at preventing child sexual abuse, labeling them as a guise for mass surveillance that could undermine encryption standards.
Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation which operates an end-to-end encrypted messaging app, condemned the EU’s initiatives, describing them as “old wine repackaged in a new bottle.”
“For decades, experts have consistently stated that maintaining the integrity of end-to-end encryption while simultaneously exposing encrypted content to surveillance is not feasible. Yet proposals attempting to achieve exactly this continue to surface,” Whittaker asserted.
“Either end-to-end encryption protects everyone, ensuring security and privacy, or it is compromised for everyone,” she added.
The Chat Control Proposal
Whittaker’s remarks follow the European Council’s proposal for chat control, which outlines regulations for monitoring end-to-end encryption under the pretext of combating child sexual abuse.
“While end-to-end encryption is crucial for safeguarding fundamental rights and digital security across governments, industries, and societies, the European Union aims to effectively prevent and combat serious crimes such as child sexual abuse,” the proposal states.
“It is imperative that services utilizing end-to-end encryption do not inadvertently become safe havens for sharing or distributing child sexual abuse material. Therefore, such material must remain detectable in all interpersonal communication services through approved technologies.”
The proposal suggests implementing chat control whereby users must explicitly consent to a detection mechanism when uploading any visual content. “Users who decline consent should still be able to use service features not involving the transmission of visual content or URLs,” it stipulates.
“This approach ensures that the detection mechanism can access data in its unencrypted state for effective analysis and action, without compromising the protection afforded by end-to-end encryption once data is transmitted.”
Expert Criticism
However, Whittaker argued that the EU’s proposals inherently undermine encryption and introduce “a dangerous vulnerability in core infrastructure” with potential global repercussions beyond Europe.
She criticized the proposal as a rhetorical maneuver by some European countries, previously advocating similar ideas under different names such as “client-side scanning,” now rebranded as “upload moderation.”
“Some argue that ‘upload moderation’ does not weaken encryption because it occurs before messages or videos are encrypted. This claim is false. Whether termed a backdoor, front door, or ‘upload moderation,’ each approach introduces a vulnerability exploitable by hackers and hostile states, eroding the protection of unbreakable mathematics,” Whittaker cautioned.
She emphasized that mandating mass scanning of private communications fundamentally undermines encryption principles, unequivocally.
Opposition from Chaos Computer Club and German MP
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and Patrick Dreyer, Member of the European Parliament for the German and European Pirate Party, echoed these concerns.
The proposal mandates user consent for chat control, but refusal carries severe penalties: those declining cannot send any pictures or videos, significantly restricting their service usage. “This is hardly voluntary participation,” remarked Linus Neumann, CCC spokesperson.
Dreyer urged immediate action against the Chat Control proposal, cautioning that EU countries advocating for it exploit periods of reduced public scrutiny post-elections. “If Council endorses Chat Control now, history suggests it will likely be adopted during the final political process,” Dreyer warned.
While some EU nations like Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, and Poland oppose the proposal, Dreyer stressed that more opposition is needed to form a decisive blocking minority.
EU governments may greenlight the proposal for chat control as soon as June 19, prompting Dreyer to urge Europeans to pressure their governments for a resounding rejection. “Demand a firm ‘No.’ Time is of the essence. This may be our last opportunity to halt Chat Control!” Dreyer urged.
Source: thecyberexpress.com
