Dan GillmorJun 19, 2024

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
Show threadAkshayJun 19, 2024

@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

Show threadDan Gillmor
@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
Jun 19, 2024 at 8:53amWeb
Show threadSteve PeersJun 19, 2024
@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.
Show threadAkshayJun 19, 2024

@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.