cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48700597
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48700080
Monday, June 29 could become a defining day for online privacy in Europe.
The EU’s final trilogue on Chat Control 2.0 could decide the future of one of the bloc’s most controversial surveillance proposals. Critics warn it could pave the way for mandatory message scanning, encryption backdoors, and unprecedented access to private communications and potentially affecting apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram.
The decision won’t just impact Europe. It could shape the future of encrypted messaging and digital privacy worldwide.
In Canada we’re facing the same question. Our government just hurried through Bill C-22 without debate, which grants the government access to encrypted communications (so, compromised encryption) and mandates retention of metadata. Signal has said it will leave Canada if this becomes law, as have some VPN companies.
This is a worldwide coordinated attack on privacy and free speech, which is one reason why “I’ll just VPN to another country” isn’t a solution. And even if everyone finds technical workarounds and breaks the law together, it empowers governments to start enforcing the law selectively based on people’s politics. Anyone organizing an environmental protest, a queer rights movement or a left-wing party will soon experience such selective enforcement.