EU Stifles Freedom of Digital Communication, Forces Mass Surveillance On Millions
In a shocking twist, the European Union has revealed its newest scheme to monitor and control millions of citizens’ digital communications. Buried beneath the surface of a controversy surrounding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detection, the Brussels regime has been quietly pushing for widespread adoption of AI-powered scanning technology across popular messaging apps.
Encryption at Risk
Critics fear this plan will shatter end-to-end encryption, paving the way for indiscriminate surveillance of private communications by both governments and corporations. The EU wants messaging platforms to install scanning agents that would analyze users’ messages – including images and videos – to supposedly detect CSAM. But legal and security experts warn this means "mass surveillance of all communications" and "enables the government to monitor whatever they want."
False Positive Hell
Opponents also forewarn that flawed AI-based scanning systems will generate millions of false positives, unleashing a torrent of unnecessary investigations on law-abiding citizens.
Government Divisions: Now a Game of Chicken
Desperate to push their agenda forward, Council ambassadors were expected to reach consensus on a negotiating mandate by last Thursday. However, the last-minute withdrawal of the proposal hinted at deep divisions among governing officials. A qualified majority would have been required to move forward – a threshold that appears to be shifting sands.
A Stay-of-Execution, Not Veto
While the setback tempers the immediate threat, privacy advocacy groups and tech giants emphasize the need for constant vigilance to counter the EU’s relentless pursuit of Orwellian surveillance. As Pirate Party MEP Patrick Breyer cautions, "The surveillance extremists among EU governments and Big Sister [Comms Commissioner Ylva Johansson] will not give up and could try again in the next few days."
Join the Resistance
In a declaration, Proton founder Andy Yen urged defenders of online privacy to remain vigilant, warning anti-encryption proposals have been defeated time and again only to resurrect in new forms. "We are not yet out of the woods…"
