TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 60.consprcy@1:2320/105 2c08b50e   
   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 202 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 2024 23:04 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   New EU Chat Control makes scanning encrypted chats optional  but privacy   
   experts are still worried   
      
   Date:   
   Tue, 04 Feb 2025 16:08:49 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Under Poland's proposal, the scanning becomes optional. Yet, privacy experts   
   are still warning against unattended consequences.   
      
   FULL STORY   
   ======================================================================   
      
   The  so far unsuccessful  legal journey of the EU child sexual abuse material   
   (CSAM) scanning bill could see developments this week as lawmakers are set to   
   discuss a new proposal on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. The Polish Council   
   Presidency proposed a new version of the bill that seeks to address existing   
   privacy concerns.    
      
   Deemed Chat Control by its critics, the bill comes as a way to halt the    
   spread of CSAM content online by scanning all people's communications. Under   
   the new Poland's proposal, however, the scanning would become voluntary   
   instead and classified as "prevention."    
      
   Despite looking like a step in the right direction in the battle to safeguard   
   encrypted communications, privacy experts aren't completely sold on this   
   solution, warning that a few issues remain.    
      
   "Major progress but not yet acceptable because of mass surveillance,"   
   commented Patrick Breyer from the German Pirate Party. A similar view was    
   also shared by Elina Eickstdt, spokeswoman for the Chaos Computer Club, who   
   pointed out how the new proposal asks more questions than it answers  digital   
   rights group Netzpolitik reported .   
      
   The end of online anonymity?    
      
   Chat control has seen many twists and turns since the European Commission   
   presented the first version of the draft bill in May 2022.    
      
   The initial plan required messaging services and email providers to scan all   
   people's messages on the lookout for illegal material  no matter if these    
   were encrypted, like WhatsApp or Signal chats.    
      
   A watered-down version would later adjust the target toward shared photos,   
   videos, and URLs upon users' permission . These changes weren't enough,   
   however, to convince the majority of lawmakers, with the latest December vote   
   failing to attract the needed majority yet again.    
      
   Poland's proposal, as Breyer from the Pirate Party pointed out, represents a   
   "major leap forward" to protect Europeans' fundamental right to keep their   
   digital correspondence private.    
      
   He said: "It would protect secure encryption and thus keep our smartphones   
   safe. However, three fundamental problems remain unsolved."   
      
   For starters, Breyer explains, that while the likes of Meta, Microsoft, or   
   Google can decide whether or not to implement CSAM scanning, this could still   
   provoke untargeted mass surveillance. This is why the European Parliament has   
   proposed a different approach , which involves making searches mandatory but   
   limiting them to persons or groups connected to child sexual abuse.    
      
   Breyer is also worried about Article 6 of the proposal, which would prevent   
   users under 16 from installing popular applications, including encrypted   
   messaging apps , social media, video conferencing services, and even online   
   games. While this minimum age would be easy to circumvent, for example by   
   using one of the best VPN services, Breyer believes it would also disempower   
   teens instead of making them stronger.    
      
   Last but certainly not least, Poland's proposal didn't change the   
   controversial Article 4 (3), for which users would be banned from setting up   
   anonymous email or messenger accounts. "This would inhibit for instance   
   sensitive chats related to sexuality, anonymous media communications with   
   sources (e.g. whistleblowers) as well as political activity," warns Breyer.   
      
   What's next?    
      
   As mentioned earlier, lawmakers are set to discuss the new Chat Control   
   proposal on Wednesday.    
      
   Asked about how likely it is for this version to finally gain the needed   
   number of votes, Breyer told TechRadar to be skeptical about the hardline   
   majority agreeing to pull mandatory chat control.    
      
   He said: "The proposal is likely to go too far already for the hardliner   
   majority of EU governments and the EU Commission whose positions are so   
   extreme that they will rather let down victims altogether than accept a   
   proportionate, court-proof, and politically acceptable approach."   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/new-eu-chat-control-makes-s   
   canning-encrypted-chats-optional-but-privacy-experts-are-still-worried   
      
   $$   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux   
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/305 153/7715 154/110 218/700 226/30   
   SEEN-BY: 227/114 229/110 111 114 206 300 307 317 400 426 428 470 664   
   SEEN-BY: 229/700 705 266/512 291/111 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45   
   SEEN-BY: 460/58 712/848 902/26 2320/0 105 3634/12 5075/35   
   PATH: 2320/105 229/426