{"id":627,"date":"2025-08-24T14:24:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T12:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ambitionsverige.se\/?p=627"},"modified":"2025-10-09T11:54:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:54:56","slug":"say-no-to-the-eus-proposal-for-totalitarian-digital-mass-surveillance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ambitionsverige.se\/en\/politik\/digitalisering-och-ai\/sag-nej-till-eus-forslag-om-totalitar-digital-massovervakning\/","title":{"rendered":"Say No to EU proposals for totalitarian digital mass surveillance"},"content":{"rendered":"

The EU has once again revitalised the draft law popularly known as \u201dChat Control\u201d, which lays the groundwork for permanent mass surveillance of all citizens' private digital lives. Even though previous proposals have already been voted down. And this time, the proposal is even worse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The latest compromise text makes it explicit that scanning of your content may already take place on your own device, i.e. your own computer or phone, before anything is even sent on - even in services with so-called end-to-end encryption - and that such technology may be centrally authorised. The allegedly good purpose is to use AI-based detection to find and stop child sexual abuse.<\/p>\n

It sounds like science fiction, but the EU proposal is a fact. The European Commission, with Commissioner Ylva Johansson (S) in charge, is pushing the issue forward despite the fact that the European Parliament has already voted it down. If the proposal goes through, it will have consequences far worse than Big Brother's surveillance in George Orwell's \u201d1984\u201d.<\/p>\n

The strategy regularly used to push through undemocratic or privacy-threatening ideas is to justify them by their effect on crime. In the case of Chat Control, the proposed regulation is justified by its ability to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.<\/p>\n

But Europpol has already pushed for unrestricted and unfiltered access to ALL data collected by Chat Control, so that they can use it against many other crimes. So even innocent private images would be handed over to law enforcement, and could be used against suspects.<\/p>\n

There have been previous versions of the proposal that were voted down, and there has been strong opposition to mass scanning and attempts to circumvent encryption. Yet now a version is coming back that makes indiscriminate scanning more centralised - on users' own devices.<\/p>\n

Denmark, which has led the EU Council of Ministers since 1 July 2025, is driving the issue by trying to gather a majority for the vote on 14 October 2025<\/strong>. The aim is to be able to force providers to scan all private digital communications using AI, and make them responsible for reporting \u201dsuspicious\u201d material, even on encrypted services.<\/p>\n

Proponents claim that it is about protecting children. Using the children's perspective as a stick is embarrassingly transparent because a society that monitors everyone protects no one. <\/strong>It protects neither children nor adults, but becomes a serious threat to both. Even Ylva Johansson should understand that. She also bears a special responsibility - but instead of taking that responsibility, her actions, including her close contacts with Ashton Kutcher's organisation Thorn, have drawn criticism from the European Ombudsman for maladministration and lack of transparency.<\/p>\n

The problem of child abuse is real and acute. But instead of strengthening targeted, proven methods, politicians like Ylva Johansson (S) are using the problem as a battering ram to introduce mass surveillance.<\/p>\n

The fact that the two private individuals behind Dumpen repeatedly succeed in identifying suspects shows - regardless of how you feel about the methods - that there is plenty of scope for the police's own proactive efforts. With more resources for surveillance, infiltration, digital forensics and international co-operation, effective action can be taken\u00a0without<\/strong> to monitor everyone for that matter.<\/p>\n

When such tools are not prioritised, but a totalitarian surveillance system is, it clearly shows that the will to actually fight sexual crimes against children is lacking. But the will to monitor citizens abounds.<\/p>\n

Technology experts, lawyers and human rights organisations have warned that chat control systems are unlawful, technically unreliable and dangerous - not least because they create security gaps that attackers can exploit. The European Court of Human Rights has also ruled that solutions that undermine encryption are in direct violation of the right to privacy, a fundamental right enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.<\/p>\n

The scan is expected to include:<\/h3>\n