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Balancing Child Protection and Personal Privacy

by bernt & torsten

The EU proposes that internet giants comb through all online communications, including encrypted chats, messages, video calls, emails, photos, and cloud storage, to root out potential child abuse images. While this may seem like a noble goal, the consequences of implementing such a system could be dire.

Consider the scenario where you share innocent photos of your children playing in the pool or bathtub with loved ones using popular encrypted apps such as Signal, WhatsApp, or Apple’s iMessage. If chat control is implemented, these images could be flagged and reviewed by law enforcement, possibly leading to a long chain of investigations and, in the worst-case scenario, leaked online.

The risks of chat control go beyond just child protection. Establishing backdoors into encrypted communication means that personal privacy is no longer guaranteed, and these backdoors may be discovered and exploited by malicious actors, including intelligence services and commercial entities. The rapid advancement of AI creates a potentially dystopian scenario where vast amounts of personal information can be mapped and analyzed, leading to all manner of manipulation, from purchasing habits to political opinions.

While it is important to combat child abuse, the broad scope of chat control risks overreach, leading to mission creep where other agendas, such as monitoring refugees, activists, or even journalists, could be pursued. Giving up our integrity this way could have disastrous long-term consequences, as history has repeatedly taught us. Ultimately, the cost of losing our privacy and civil liberties may be too high a price.

As citizens, we must consider the long-term consequences of implementing chat control. While protecting children from harm is a noble goal, the risks of giving up our privacy and civil liberties are too significant.

The potential for mission creep and exploitation by malicious actors far outweighs the benefits of scanning personal communications. Furthermore, the privacy implications of such a system would be a significant blow to personal freedom and civil liberties.

If chat control is implemented, it would be essential to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent overreach and protect the privacy of innocent individuals. Moreover, any system must be transparent and accountable, and the government must ensure that individuals have the right to challenge any findings.

In conclusion, while we must take steps to protect children from sexual abuse, we must also be vigilant against any measures that could undermine our fundamental rights and freedoms. The EU must ensure that any proposals for chat control strike the right balance between protecting children and personal privacy. Anything less would be a dangerous step toward a surveillance state.