France Redefines 'Privacy' as 'Government Access'
When governments clamor for 'backdoors' into private communications, it's never about protecting you. It's about protecting themselves from scrutiny, particularly during periods of widespread protest or unpopular policies. Recall France’s 2018 'yellow vest' protests, where authorities struggled to identify and prosecute participants sharing operational details on encrypted apps ( Reuters, 2019 ).
This 'concern' for public safety conveniently aligns with state interests when citizens actually organize. The push by French authorities, framed by Durov as an EU-wide drive, isn't a sudden epiphany about digital safety. It's a calculated move to curtail the very tools that enable dissent to organize outside state surveillance. It's not about preventing crime; it’s about controlling conversation.
One has to wonder how many more 'slippery slope' arguments will turn into policy before 'privacy' is merely a historical footnote.