EU's 'chat regulation law' that scans private emails and images is on the brink of passage, messaging app 'Signal' hints at EU withdrawal



In the EU, discussions are underway on a 'Chat Control' law that would require companies to scan calls, emails, and messages to prevent child sexual abuse. However, this law has been criticized by

experts , scholars , and activists as damaging privacy and being counterproductive to child welfare. In response to the French authorities, which have been considered a stronghold of opponents of the bill, coming up with a compromise plan that includes 'upload moderation,' which would prevent users from sending messages unless they consent to being scanned, Signal, a privacy-focused messaging app, announced that it would withdraw from the EU market if the law was passed.

Online documents: Frankly speaking, the ChatController
https://netzpolitik.org/2024/interne-dokumente-frankreich-entscheidet-ueber-zukunft-der-chatcontrol/

Majority for chat control possible – Users who refuse scanning to be prevented from sharing photos and links – Patrick Breyer
https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/majority-for-chat-control-possible-users-who-refuse-scanning-to-be-prevented-from-sharing-photos-and-links/

Audio communications excluded from latest draft of child sexual abuse material law – Euractiv
https://www.euractiv.com/section/law-enforcement/news/audio-communications-excluded-in-latest-draft-of-child-sexual-abuse-material-law/

The Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, or chat law, approved by the European Parliament in 2021, is a law that requires providers of online services to search for and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The law, which would allow private messages and photos to be viewed by third parties, has been heavily criticized, particularly for its requirement to disable end-to-end encryption, and the European Parliament passed an amendment to eliminate indiscriminate scanning and protect encrypted communications by 2023.

In addition, in February 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in a separate case that 'it is a violation of human rights for a government to require messaging app developers to introduce a mechanism that allows the decryption of end-to-end encryption,' upholding the European Parliament's decision to maintain encryption of communications.

European Court of Human Rights rules that making backdoors mandatory for messaging apps will strengthen government surveillance and lead to human rights violations - GIGAZINE



However, internal documents from the European Parliament leaked on May 31, 2024 revealed that there is a high possibility that France will abandon its veto and support the compromise. France, which had been working with Germany to prevent widespread censorship through chat regulation laws, has withdrawn from the opposition, which could give momentum to the promotion of regulations.

According to documents from the working group published by the German news site netzpolitik.org, the new amendments include 'upload moderation,' which would require consent to scanning and potentially reporting images, photos and videos.

If users deny permission to be scanned, they will be blocked from sending or receiving files or links, such as images, and endorsement encryption services like Signal and Whatsapp will have to perform automatic scanning before sending messages.

The talks also proposed exempting security and military officials from the restrictions, a move seen as a concession to secure France's support.



'The stalled chat law may finally be adopted by the EU,' said Patrick Breyer, a member of the German Pirate Party and an opponent of the chat law. 'France is giving up its resistance, and the compromise proposal includes a ban on sharing photos, videos and links unless you consent to being scanned.'

In response, Meredith Whitaker, president of the Signal Foundation, the nonprofit organization that develops Signal, said, 'Signal strongly opposes this bill. Let me be clear: we would rather withdraw from the EU market than compromise our privacy guarantees. If this bill passes and is enforced against us, we will be forced to make this choice. This is surveillance wine in a safety bottle.'



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in Web Service,   Security, Posted by log1l_ks