EU Delays 'Chat Control,' Promises More Backdoor Access Later
Deutsche Welle breathlessly reports the EU's 'chat control' law is delayed due to 'privacy concerns.' This, of course, is framed as a victory for civil liberties. What they don't quite emphasize is that this isn't a defeat, but a tactical retreat. This isn't the first time the EU has attempted expansive surveillance measures; the Data Retention Directive of 2006, which mandated telcos store data,
was eventually struck down by the ECJ in 2014 for violating fundamental rights. Yet, like a bad penny, these proposals always seem to resurface. One might wonder if these 'privacy concerns' only become truly pressing when the public pushes back, rather than when the surveillance state calculates its next move. The delay merely means the architects of digital dragnet operations are polishing their
talking points, not abandoning their designs. Expect a 're-calibrated' version soon enough, likely with new euphemisms for mass scanning your private communications. Because apparently, the 'threat' never goes away, only the phrasing.