Mastodawn

Mass surveillance and censorship are escalating in many countries right now. There is a global attack on secure encrypted communication. Often, authorities, politicians, and tech companies work together to push for new laws. One example: when Ashton Kutcher (yes, the actor), through his tech company Thorn, tried to introduce total surveillance of all EU citizens through undemocratic and corrupt methods.

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

First, Ashton Kutcher convinced the EU Commission that they could scan everything on an EU citizen’s phone or computer (messages, photos, emails, phone calls, all of it) for child sexual abuse material without, at the same time, looking at the content of other types of communication.

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson presented the legislative proposal called Chat Control, which aimed to scan everything on all EU citizens' phones and computers (including conversations in end-to-end-encrypted messaging services). The message from the Commission was: we will only search for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then experts from all over the world explained to her that the kind of scanning she was talking about (as Ylva described it: a drug-sniffing dog that can detect illegal content in a message without reading the message) simply cannot be done safely, and that Chat Control would mean the end of privacy and pose a security threat to all Europeans. Ylva responded with: “what about the children?”

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then it was revealed that Thorn, the organization founded by Ashton Kutcher and which had been lobbying for Chat Control from the beginning, was selling the kind of scanning technology that could be used for Chat Control – despite being registered as a charity organization in the EU’s lobbying registry.

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then it was revealed that Thorn, together with the EU Commission, had also started and funded “children’s rights organizations” that had supported the proposal. What appeared publicly to be charitable organizations were in fact lobby groups.

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then it was revealed that Europol wanted unlimited access and wanted to use the scanning for more than just child abuse crimes, saying that all data – also unfiltered and innocent material – should be stored because it “could at some point be useful to law enforcement”.

And then?

And then it was revealed that employees at Europol had joined Thorn, to lobby their old colleagues.

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then politicians in Brussels wanted to exempt themselves from the scanning.

And then?

And then the European Parliament, in an almost historic consensus, voted against the proposal and called Chat Control nothing but mass surveillance. As one of the members of the parliament said: “The Commission wasn’t focusing on protecting children but wanted mass surveillance.”

And then?

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then The Council of the EU (law proposals must go through both the Parliament and the Council), after three years of negotiation, finally reached a common position on Chat Control. The requirement for mandatory scanning (including end-to-end encrypted messaging services) was removed, which is a major victory, but several problematic elements remain in the Council's position. For instance, the Council wants to demand ID Control to use messaging services (including end-to-end encrypted).

Mullvad VPN Mar 10

And then?

And then, in 2026 the final negotiations began, between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU. At the same time, the European Commission is working on a Plan B, through the initiative Going Dark/ProtectEU, where they once again try to force total surveillance (this time organized crime is the excuse) on the citizens of the EU.

And then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPzvUW8qaWY

And then? | Mullvad VPN

YouTube

Cavallo Pazzo Mar 10

@mullvadnet Thank you for the exhaustive explanation. 👍 It's sad that you had to waste your precious time on that.

@cavallo_pazzo @mullvadnet
Nothing was wasted today. Fortunately I've actually learned something today. Thank you.

millennial fulcrum 6d ago

@Inmod @cavallo_pazzo @mullvadnet big time helpful. 🤌

@mullvadnet (feeling like a pop-trivia idiot - even though I started at the top witg mention of Ashton Kutcher, the ‘and then?’ you kept saying didn’t <click> until this last note. 10 out of 10.)

Grim, being supportive and respectful of Kutcher’s effort against human trafficking, but ‘oh, hell no’ at the intrusion and implausibility of this proposal.

millennial fulcrum 6d ago

@InkomTech @mullvadnet good context.

ClaraBlackInk 2d ago

@InkomTech @mullvadnet Just adding this to the thread because Ashton is questionable at best: https://youtu.be/wgN3HA1AI3Y

These folks really do need to be scrutinized more as they bring their money and fame into policymaking.

The Lies, Crimes, Cult & Cheating That Manufactured Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis

YouTube

🏳️‍🌈11m ago

@InkomTech @mullvadnet That's how they trick people into agreeing, including ignorant politicians. Everybody agrees human trafficking and exploitation is bad. The problem is, as it ever was, that you can't solve it by spying on everyone and everything all the time.

Davide Alimonti 6d ago

No to Chat Control and all of its forms!

That's the kind of laws you get - and you constantly fight against - when you don't have real accountability as is the case in the Europan Commission (and most top EU institutions)

Kid Mania 6d ago

@mullvadnet
🤦‍♂️ ffs
#doomed

Yoh Deadfall 2d ago

@mullvadnet, and then it turned into Russia.

@mullvadnet really great thread! Thanks!

@mullvadnet christ on a bike

JWM (Joe No Se)5h ago

@mullvadnet NO AND THEN!

@ildiavolorosso @mullvadnet Order of eggrolls, and a number 31 Devoured Privacy Happy Child with shrimp. No and then.

Tack så mycket!
Hälsningar från Tyskland.

@mullvadnet I did not saw that coming

Bib Sleigh 6d ago

@mullvadnet Ashton Kutcher wrote character reference letters in support of his former co-star Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape.

That is the measure of the man running Thorn.

betonglen 6d ago

thank you for sharing wow

i will utilize your 'and then?' approach

~ $ Cosipa 6d ago

@mullvadnet Great writeup, raising awareness on this is very important. Mullvad reporting thoroughly on this topic, I appreciate it.

@mullvadnet hell of a butterfly effect

Дими́трий 2d ago

it's pretty clear we're being punk'd

@mullvadnet Ashton Kutcher, the actor who ask for leniency of his rapist friend danny masterson? the Ashton Kutcher who is married to Mila Kunis, which also asked for leniency of rapist danny masterson? F all those people and the politicians who meet with them