from vas@lemmy.ml to privacy@lemmy.ml on 02 Nov 20:49
https://lemmy.ml/post/38422991
TL&DR; there’s a local win but it’s not over yet. We need to push so that even “voluntary” surveillance is not allowed. Full post below.
The Danes will seek to propose a voluntary detection regime in the CSAM proposal, instead of controversial mandatory detection orders
The Danish Council presidency is backing away from pushing for mandatory detection orders in a legislative proposal that aims to tackle the spread of online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), the country’s justice minister said on Thursday.
Earlier in their presidency, Denmark had revived a controversial provision in the draft law that would mean online platforms – such as messaging apps – could be served with mandatory CSAM detection orders, including services protected by end-to-end encryption. However opposition from several other EU countries derailed any agreement in the Council.
Today, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told local press that the Council presidency would move away from mandatory detection orders – and instead support CSAM detections remaining voluntary.
The presidency circulated a discussion paper with EU country representatives on Thursday, aiming to gather countries’ views on the updated (softened) proposal in a bid to find a compromise, Euractiv understands.
The Danes are concerned that if no agreement is reached on the proposal even voluntary scanning will not happen once the current legal scheme that enables that runs out in April 2026.
The CSAM proposal – dubbed “chat control” by opponents – has repeatedly failed to achieve support in Council, which has spent years trying and failing to agree its negotiating mandate.
Earlier this month, Germany’s justice minister came out against the plan, with a strong-worded public statement that attacked “unjustified chat monitoring”.
The mandatory detection orders contained in the original Commission proposal have proven to be the biggest sticking point – triggering major privacy and security concerns.
Critics warn that such an approach risks opening the door to mass surveillance of European citizens, as well as pointing out that it would run counter to existing EU laws that seek to ensure data protection and the privacy of communications.
If the Danes manage to find a compromise in Council on a version of the CSAM proposal that strips out mandatory detection orders the draft law could progress towards trilogue negotiations with Parliament, finally moving on from years of deadlock.
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The good ending 🙌
somehow
It’s not an ending; the only ending is the bad one. We need to succeed every time, but terrorists only once. It’ll be back.
Yes of course, but to this chapter anyways
It’s not a full ending yet. It’s a local win. But the possibility for the proposed “voluntary” surveillance is still discussed. We need to push until April 2026 to make sure this sh*t doesn’t get through in any shape or form.
I’ve also edited the post slightly, adding a TL&DR; on top.
What does voluntary surveillance mean in this context ?
Good question, and I’m not fully sure. I think it may be the messengers, E2E or not. I hope it’s not the hardware providers such as Samsung/Apple, because those wouldn’t be trustworthy.
@Eq0@literature.cafe
they made it lawful a few years ago for companies to check your messages for CSAM and report it to authorities if they want to do it. it was meant as a temporary measure until they make it mandatory, and it will expire sometime next year. they want to renew it, and that’s what this is about.
We may have won the battle, but not the endless war on this basic human right. The next council presidency will try again with a slightly changed bill. Might switch back to terror prevention from child abuse as the reason. But it will never stop.
You love to see it.
It will be back. Stay alert.
Its a way to get something through so that the next “addon” will feel less scary. Do not fall for it.
As a Dane myself, assuming the entire country is pro-surveillance annoys me to no end. Just a few weeks ago there was enough signatures to send in a proposal to folketinget to stop this insanity.
It ends with:
->
I’m an expat living in Denmark and it confused me how this was not only supported but led by the Danish presidency! From a close outsider perspective, it didn’t feel like it matched what I know of Danes, but came from politicians.
My Danish is not very good yet so I’m not very plugged into grassroots feelings. It felt weird that this legislation would be led by a country with an overall high digital literacy and respect for private life. I assumed the rather high trust in public institutions was a significant factor, but it’s not like the people I know are blindly trusting.
I am danish, and I have yet to meet anyone here who supports it. I’m sure there are some out there, but they seem to be pretty rare.
Any mechanism for spying on citizens private communication will be missused by whoever is in power. The data will be hoarded and leaked. The mechanism will be compromised and exploited by criminals and foreign powers.
To preserve a free society, we need a right to private communication.
what if it spies on people and if a certain threshold of people hate the govt the computer says “you’re coup’d” and they have to leave
Yea, that would work.