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EU Possibly Emerging As One Of The Greatest Threats To Privacy


As part of its efforts, the bloc has repeatedly introduced its Chat Control legislation, aimed at weakening the encryption that protects messaging services and force providers to provide a client-side backdoor for law enforcement.
in reply to kylian0087

Never probably, these are law proposals.

They have never been voted in, as the majority of EU doesnt want them.

So makes sure to vote in politicans that wont, so we can keep it that way.

in reply to schizoidman

I hope that the current insufferability of US realities will help shed this law from our fates
in reply to schizoidman

The title is missing a second part: "after China, the US, Russia, the UK, etc.".

I get that privacy is potentially in danger if chatcontrol passes (ie. it's not right now) and that to raise awareness is worthwhile, but misrepresenting one of the best places privacy-wise as "one of the greatest threats" is just dishonest.

in reply to gomp

The EU is interesting because there is the GDPR that has good data privacy protection but then they keep bringing up chat control which completely undermines privacy
in reply to coach_cheese

"They" being some proponents starting with Ylva Johansson, but it's also true that they have never had a majority to actually make chat control happen. They keep trying, but "they" are not the EU as a whole.
in reply to coach_cheese

Because they support limited privacy from corporations, but zero privacy from government. The neoliberals don’t consider that a double standard.
in reply to gomp

None of those countries are trying to dismantle encryption entirely so no, I disagree.
in reply to Ulrich

Well, the UK sure is trying, and the US was also thinking about it (never got to law-making at least)
in reply to Ulrich

I genuinely sus that all "fedditors" are Washingtobots

Feddit.org instance even has "fed" and "reddit" in it, what an unholy mix

This entry was edited (6 days ago)
in reply to gomp

No, those countries are not enshrining in law the requirement for backdoors to serve your own government, for which you’ll be required to comply.
in reply to schizoidman

EU has the best privacy laws, only behind Switzerland.

They will not be close to the greatest threat, but it will still be a step back.

Also, these are proposals that has not been voted in ever before. So be sure to vote for politicians that wont, so we can keep it that way.

in reply to themurphy

Privacy from whom? Privacy from corporations means nothing if you have zero privacy from a neoliberal corporate government.
in reply to surph_ninja

True, but most of the Europeans dont have those governments.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to themurphy

Which of them are blocking EU attempts to mandate government backdoors?
in reply to surph_ninja

patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/cha…

He put the ones who didnt vote 'in favour', that's why it didnt pass.

But you can see who's directly opposing.

in reply to surph_ninja

Right. Let's start by the right to privacy written in the constitution. A constitution is not for companies/corporations/enterprises/zaibatsus/gafam/moral entities.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to schizoidman

In a world where the Great Firewall and the Five Eyes exist? Sure buddy
in reply to schizoidman

I'm sorry, what now?

There is no place on this earth with better privacy protection laws

Yeah, it's still far from perfect but to call ot the greatest threat is just disingenuous, it's a lie. It's shouting FIRE in a movie theater because someone smokes. Stop doing this shit

in reply to Phoenixz

Accidental self-own admitting to everyone you haven’t been paying attention to the EU’s aggressive software backdoor agenda.

If you don’t have privacy from the government, you don’t have privacy.

in reply to surph_ninja

If you don’t have privacy from the government, you don’t have privacy.


Privacy refers to more than just privacy regarding the government.

Your threat model and situation might mean that if the government knows something, its as bad as if every single person knows it.

But this isn't for everyone.

This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to unhrpetby

If you are a human being living under the control of a government, the government is absolutely a threat to you.
in reply to surph_ninja

...the government is absolutely a threat to you.


I don't see how this supports your previous claim of: "If you don’t have privacy from the government, you don’t have privacy."

This entry was edited (6 days ago)
in reply to surph_ninja

Yes, in an dictatorship where the gov have always access to your data and activity, but in the EU they need for it an court order to access the data from an individual. Meanwhile US companies like Google, are even reading your mail.
in reply to surph_ninja

Can you point to a specific law that the EU has passed in this direction?

Cos according to the article all attempts to pass something like this that have been presented in the EU have been blocked. By the EU.

An alternative title could have been: "EU Possibly The Only One Who Has Been Explicitly Rejecting Backdoor Mandates Until Now"

Sure, proposals keep being presented.. but I feel it's kind of a bit early to call the EU "greatest threat" just because yet another attempt has been made. Specially when you compare it with many other places where they apply things like this without batting an eye.

I'm not saying we (Europeans) shouldn't push (yet again) to make sure this also fails... but the title of the article is a bit misplaced, and after a history of successful rejections I feel a lot more optimistic.

This entry was edited (6 days ago)
in reply to schizoidman

You always have to balance it with law enforcement. Being at the mercy of criminals, life savings stolen by scammers, etc is not freedom.
in reply to schizoidman

If anyone were really worried about privacy, all internet related companies would be in bankruptcy. Apple? Meta? Google? SnapChat? Reddit? You name it, their whole purpose is collecting the personal data of their users.
in reply to schizoidman

It is a big difference to confuse the lack of privacy when an gov can access userdata in the case of an court order with the lack of privacy when private companies can spread and sell userdata.
The difference is the right of the user to access and delete his data, which exists by law in the EU, but not in the USA. The EU is far from perfect, but lightyears better in questions of privacy

Microsoft US

Microsoft EU

This entry was edited (6 days ago)
in reply to schizoidman

No, it's not even close to one of the greatest threats. Of course it's up to shady s***, of that there can be no doubt, but it's not ranked in the top five.

Classic baitclick.

in reply to schizoidman

Can someone hack this "bloc" and release all their private chats? Like, work and personal, conversations about their giant hemorrhoids and all.
This entry was edited (5 days ago)