this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2026
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Chat Control is not dead. The EU (still) wants to scan your private messages and photos

The "Chat Control" proposal would legalise scanning of all private digital communications, including encrypted messages and photos. This threatens fundamental privacy rights and digital security for all EU citizens.

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[–] elvith@feddit.org 98 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

I'm completely pro chat control. To make it more accepted, we just need to show that it's a good idea and lead by example! That's why I propose, to completely publish all communications of our politicians and those that they communicate with. This content trove will be reviewed with AI* to make sure that there are no bad guys hiding in the government, right? As always, if they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear!

* AI - Audience Interest: every one of us is free to analyze everything and publish and discuss their findings publicly.

^/s?^

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Last time they pushed for this, the politicians planned to exempt themselves from the surveillance they'd force on everyone else:

https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/leak-eu-interior-ministers-want-to-exempt-themselves-from-chat-control-bulk-scanning-of-private-messages/

[–] plyth@feddit.org 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

How is it possible to get parties into power that put this into law?

[–] elvith@feddit.org 22 points 3 days ago

Just lobby and bribe harder than those guys that want to see Chat Control happening Β―\_(ツ)_/Β―

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They will push until it eventually goes through. I'm in the tinfoily prepation mode, better get a head start than act surprised in a few years when this finally passes.

[–] zemo@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

How have you chosen to prepare for this?

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Nokia prepaid dumbphone as my main, not any fancy remade stuff but a really old brick with new battery. I'm hoarding DVD's, games, music and books. Making my own digital copies of them. Learning to use all the services the local library provides. Slowly building a new Linux PC that will eventually be turned into an offline DVD-player that runs basic games. (I can then do banking and such at the library PC or in the actual bank.)

You don't need to play along, but you can if you choose to.

[–] EvasiveSpecies@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm not very knowledgable about technology but ever since all of this + the push of ID verification online around the globe I've started to grow a small analog collection of games/books/DVDs. It's the easiest way to prepare oneself for worst case scenarios even if one doesn't know every detail.

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 days ago

Absolutely! It brings peace of mind. And here used CDs and DVD's cost around 1-2€ per piece so when the streaming services just keep deleting their content and jacking up the prices at the same time, it feels whole lot better and saves money in the long run. It's fun to exchange movies with the friends too! Or to bring a physical disc to a movie night.

I have bought a few boardgames too to play with the family and friends. It something I have just thought that "it could be fun" but never have gotten around to or actually bothered to play.. Now I have gotten around and bothered and it has been a lot of fun!

[–] zemo@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

But a dumbphone surely has no encryption. Texts and calls over GSM can be readily read by the carrier and government. You would have to be extremely diligent not to slip any information that would identify you, but even if you dont you are still creating an alternate persona for data gathering entities.

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

So? You think I say or write anything important on the phone? Why would anyone? It's for "on the way honey" or "honey do we need more beer?" kinda communication. For proper communication I write letters, emails or meet in person. Phones are the most suckiest way of communication.

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 59 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance..., but fuck, every goddamn year?

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

More than that! Last time was in October/November it i remember correctly

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Gorram, seemed nearby. There needs to be protection against lobbyists (could stop here) pushing the same crap that got shot down already, again and again. Throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks is for bluesky development, not governance.

[–] Akasazh@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Yup keep going guys it's not going to get easier but fighting for your freedoms and principles is important.

Just look at what apathy gets you as an alternative. Just rejoice in the fact that you have access to lawmakers and you can influence the process by being active.

It seems like shit but one we give in then it will pass.

Write to your mps sign some petitions, it seems like a chore but store then you care.

[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

For a few, true freedom requires the enslavement of many.

The liberal democratic experiments are dying at the hands of their own owners. Turns out History didn't end.

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

For a few, true freedom requires the enslavement of many.

The needs of the many outweigh the desires of the few. With guillotines if necessary.

[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Yes, but the few have bought all the guillotines already.

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 8 points 3 days ago

Business opportunity! Ikea Guillotines!

[–] alakey@piefed.social 62 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I really wish there was some sort of rule that stated that if your proposal failed it gets blacklisted for the next 10 years, regardless of the framing of the proposal.

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 36 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Wouldn't work either as they are -very obviously here- just ignoring the rules anyway.

[–] CovertOperative@piefed.zip 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If they can ignore it it's not a rule.

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No, it just means that there is noone to enforce it.

[–] CovertOperative@piefed.zip 2 points 3 days ago

A rule that isn't enforced is a rule that doesn't exist. No matter how many words are written on a paper.

[–] UnLocoPoco@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago

Unfortunately, they only need to succeed once...😞

[–] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago

Fuck sake, it has been told time and time again that this is a bad idea!

[–] shrugs@piefed.social 40 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Ffs, the world is collapsing and we talk about this kind of shit...again.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 41 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The Epstein class, that is causing the world to collapse, is also behind chat control and age verification.

They're gunning for totalitarian dictatorship.

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 5 points 3 days ago

The more unstable the world becomes, the more frequent and aggressive moves towards authoritarianism will be.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago

Chat are we cooked?

[–] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What was the method again to ensure that undead vampires do not leave their grave after their burial? Seems a little ritual needs to be added to the proceedings....

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

On the bill or the politicians?

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 2 points 2 days ago

Both, both is good

[–] MacAnus@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago
[–] Evil_Incarnate@sopuli.xyz 6 points 3 days ago (3 children)

How do they plan to get past encryption?

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 27 points 3 days ago

They will make it illegal, or they will force mandatory backdoors into it. It will be hacked within days, and they will blame β€œleft wing extremism.”

[–] mimavox@piefed.social 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Probably mandatory scanning on device before encryption. Will destroy all privacy focused apps.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 11 points 3 days ago (2 children)

In this case, privacy-focused apps would just not implement it, as it's the voluntary chat control "1.0" which we already had before. Of course, it would probably be used to eventually have another go at the mandatory scanning again.

[–] gopher@programming.dev 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Yes, I'm a bit less worried about chat control "1.0" as it at least still allows one to choose services that don't participate (I seem to recall reading somewhere that no encrypted services actually reported anything under 1.0 but have no source for it). Of course it is still not good.

Biggest problem is that they are also discussing chat control 2.0 that would force privacy focussed apps to basically shut down or comply.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You'll only have privacy if everyone you talk to also uses a private server and a noncompliant client app that's relatively hard to get. The chances are that your carefully encrypted texts just get scooped up after decryption at the other end. And if they get it built into mobile OSs so that apps can't bypass it, even that won't work.

[–] mimavox@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

I guess the only solution then would be to set up your own server with Nextcloud, Matrix etc.

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Good ol' moving the overton window.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The easiest would be to let the OS grab the keys of every connection and transmit them to the government.

For everybody with their own OS, they can use the backdoors on the chips to get the keys.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Or just make life unpleasant for you because you use a different OS, maybe by adding you to a terrorism list.

Just another tuesday in the corrupt union :(

See you next tuesday suckers.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This kinda shit makes me glad we left. Then I look at our own government, it's just as bad!

[–] Noja@sopuli.xyz 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Sorry but the UK is still like 10x worse even if Chat Control would pass.

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Yeah, the UK adopted 1984 as an instruction manual ages ago. I last visited it almost 20 years ago, but even then, the level of public surveillance alone was already ridiculous.