Some EU officials know nothing about how technology works but know what they want. And they're on the verge forcing technology companies to make everyone much less safe by destroying strong encryption and eviscerating personal privacy.

https://netzpolitik.org/2024/client-side-scanning-chat-control-is-pure-surveillance-state/

(Tweaked to be clear it's not all EU officials...)

Client-Side-Scanning: Chat Control is Pure Surveillance State

The planned chat control makes the world less secure and more authoritarian, as it is directed against private and encrypted communication. Proponents are using disinformation, lies, and sleight of hand to push through the project. But chat control can still be stopped. A commentary.

netzpolitik.org

@dangillmor “EU officials” is worth clarifying. This action linked is by EU Council, the representation of member state governments. It could be a terrifying first step in regressing the great progress made in the last decade.

However, the EU Parliament and EU Commission have a strong recent track record of knowing exactly how the technology works and regulating big tech more effectively than any other government. I am hopeful the Parliament will continue to block chat control.

@dangillmor Especially worrying since we’re simultaneously seeing a rise in extreme right wing and even openly fascist ideology becoming mainstream and proponents of these ideas casually being voted into power across Europe.

Soon no one will be safe from the thought police.

@xerge @dangillmor Exactly. Gasoline can and a match.
@dangillmor I have contacted European Parliament representatives elected in Lithuania regarding EU Chat Control Act offering more context and professional opinion, though, none showed any interest 

https://social.gyt.is/@gytisrepecka/statuses/01J0NXRQY9HCX8EMD6TJW7P8EM
Post by Gytis Repečka, @[email protected]

Atviras laiškas [Lietuvoje išrinktiems Europos Parlamento nariams](https://vilnius.europarl.europa.eu/lt/meps): Gerb. Lietuvos atstove Europos Parlamente, Rytoj, birželio mėn. 19 d., Europos parlamente vyks balsavimas dėl „[Proposal for a regulation laying down the rules to prevent and combat child ...

social.gyt.is

@dangillmor @bert_hubert

As an EU civil servant myself, I beg anglophone commentators to finally start making distinctions between:

- National politicians in EU member states (who are driving the above)

- Directly elected EU Parliamentarians (who are the best hope of stopping this)

- EU civil servants who are under orders from…

- European Commissioners (politicians appointed by EU countries and Parliament)

The “EU official” trope is the Brexit way of intentionally confusing above people

@dangillmor @bert_hubert

And thanks to everyone else who pointed out the same on this thread as I was formulating my thoughts…

Talk about “EU politicians” and OP is basically accurate, though not true of all EU politicians; it’s still being fought over

@Akshay @dangillmor I understand the sentiment, but this stuff is still "coming from Brussels". It is the EU working as intended, even when operated by member state politicians. It is very hard to disentangle this and come out clean.

@bert_hubert @dangillmor

I agree with you, this is “the EU”.

But to me the word “official” includes “bureaucrat”, and the UK press has for years called elected EU politicians “bureaucrats”, confusing everyone about how the EU works

And if we want to fight this, you need to know who is in favour and who is against. Turning “Brussels” into a blob makes action impossible, like “Washington” conflates Democrats and Republicans for populist purposes, or, in NL, “Den Haag” does similarly

@Akshay @dangillmor you'll never hear me blame EU officials in this context in any case. Wise people mostly ;-)
@Akshay What in your view would be the clearest description of the people responsible for this, and if it is not stopped by EU Parliamentarians, will it be OK to say the EU did this? @bert_hubert
@dangillmor @Akshay @bert_hubert It's the "EU officials" trope that's nonsense here. At this point it's Member State governments discussing their negotiation position.

@dangillmor @bert_hubert

The original proposal comes from Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, member of the “European Commission”

Member states in the “Council of Ministers” are divided. An (attempted) compromise proposal by the Belgian chair has caused the recent outcry.

We’ll see what the European Parliament says, after the recent elections.

If both Member States and the EU Parliament agree on a compromise text, the proposal will become EU Law, indeed done by the EU.

@dangillmor

This destruction of #privacy won't hurt real #criminals. It affects everybody else.
Those who use it for criminal activities will keep on using high-order #encrption with #tunneling ordinary #ports.

@saturata @dangillmor true because real criminal will find way to still being anonyme for example using PGP on their own and sending theses message to other on any plateforme
@saturata @dangillmor the cops are the criminals we need protection from

@fluffykittycat @dangillmor

Don't think that cops are #criminals. At least not all of them. In my humble opinion the real #criminals in terms of #organizedcrime, #corruption, #bribery, ... are #officials, #politicians, ...

@dangillmor It is really important to be clear about this topic. It is always one (or couple) of 27 governments that wants to push the regulation that hurts their citizens. They know people will protest, so they go to Brussels to meet other govs and agree on the regulation. Then they all go back to their countries and all say "we have to do this because of The EU". Don't help them, please. Be specific.

@dangillmor

"EU officials, who know nothing about how #technology works but know what they want..." 👍 👍 👍 😂

They are still working hard on figuring out their smartphones 😋

@dangillmor

As with the nightmare UK DPDI Bill*, "Liberal Democracy" is looking an awful lot like "Police State".

*Narrow escape when the legislation died on its arse when an election was called.
But like New Labour's "ID Card" Scheme - really a Criminal Record style Biometrics Database, some other bastards will try to force a similar Orwellian Charter through.
@dangillmor This is a shame and very bad precedent
@dangillmor My completely irrational take is that if I were Apple I would just pull out of EU until the people reign in the EC