Germany plans to veto "chat moderation" if the current plan doesn't change.
Germany is set to veto the EU Commission's proposed "Chat Control," a measure intended to combat child sexual violence. As per German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), "We refuse the so-called Chat Control." Germany will block the proposal in the council if it remains unaltered. The monitoring of encrypted communication from millions of individuals without justifiable cause should not be tolerated. Simultaneously, it's crucial to tackle this issue at the European level and hold online platforms responsible for identifying, deleting, and prosecuting abusive content.
In an open missive, 36 European politicos, including German ones, urged EU member states to oppose the "Chat Control." They believe the suggested measures violate European fundamental rights, as mentioned in the letter. Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) strongly condemned the EU's plans. He used an example: "No one would dare propose that I have to allow a state observer to browse through my photo album for a preliminary scan before showing my youngest vacation snaps to a buddy."
Among those who signed the open letter are FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, her party comrade Konstantin Kuhle, Konstantin von Notz, and Emilia Fester from the Greens. Besides politicians from German and Austrian national parliaments, MEPs also endorsed the document.
The document asserts, "We support the protection of individuals' right to anonymous and pseudonymous internet usage and the reinforcement of end-to-end encryption." All negotiating governments are urged to reject the current plans.
The EU Commission revealed a proposal in 2022, suggesting that providers like Google or Facebook could be compelled to search their platforms for child abuse pictures under specific conditions using software. Critics dub this proposal the "Chat Control" and worry about mass surveillance. The EU nations will discuss the topic again on a Thursday.
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Despite Germany's strong opposition to the EU Commission's "Chat Control" proposal, there's a possibility of altered negotiations. If Germany's concerns regarding mass surveillance and violation of fundamental rights are addressed in the proposal, they might reconsider their veto.
In the ongoing debate about child sexual violence prevention, it's crucial for Germany to propose alternative ways to combat this issue without infringing on individuals' privacy rights, as seen in the "Chat Control" proposal.
