European Union Officials have postponed talks on a proposed law that would have caused messaging services to scan photos and links to detect possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If the proposal were to become law, it could require the likes of WhatsApp, Messenger and Signal to scan all images users upload, forcing them to break encryption.
For the measure to pass, it must have the support of at least 15 member states representing at least 65 percent of the entire population of the bloc. However, countries including Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were expected to abstain or oppose the plan due to cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Politics reports. If the EU members agree on a common position, they will have to prepare the final version of the law with the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Such was the legislation first proposed in 2022 and this may result in messaging services having to scan all images and links to detect CSAM and communications between minors and potential criminals. Under the proposal, users will be notified of the link and image scanning in the terms of service. If they opt out, they will be banned from sharing links and images on those platforms. However, as Politics notes that the draft proposal provides an exception for “accounts used by the state for national security purposes.”
It is reported that EU Council leaders have been trying to break the deadlock for six months and advance negotiations to finalize the law. Belgium’s presidency of the Council ends on June 30, and it is unclear whether the incoming administration will continue to prioritize the proposal.
Prior to this month’s election, digital rights activist Patrick Breyer, a former member of the European Parliament, argued He said supporters of the so-called “conversation control” plan were aiming to take advantage of the power vacuum before the next parliament is formed. Breyer says the delay in the vote was partly caused by campaigners. “to be noted” but warned that “surveillance extremists among EU governments” could try to develop surveillance of the conversation again in the coming days.
Other critics and privacy advocates have slammed the proposal. Signal President Meredith Whittaker said in the statement And Edward Snowden: “Mass scanning of private communications fundamentally undermines encryption” described As in “a monstrous measure of mass control.”
Advocates, on the other hand, have suggested that breaking encryption would be acceptable to combat CSAM. “The Commission has proposed a way or a rule that even encrypted messaging can be broken to better protect children,” European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourova said on Thursday. EuroNews.
The EU is not the only institution to attempt such a step. Apple in 2021 revealed his plan Scan iCloud Photos for known CSAM. However, he broke that controversial effort after criticism from customers, advocacy groups and researchers.
