Chat Control isn't off the table yet

Following sufficient public backlash, the original proposal for mandatory Chat Control didn't manage to pass. However, the Danish presidency hasn't stopped pushing for a compromise after it has been out of the public eye. While scanning end-to-end-encrypted messages has been changed to be voluntary, the popular new thing has been introduced: age verification.

EU member states have agreed on a common position that enables platforms to voluntarily scan end-to-end-encrypted messaging. This also includes everyone's next favorite thing: AI. Using automated text analysis, predatory behavior should be detected by the providers choosing to implement this kind of surveillance. Using such a system will inevitably lead to dangerous false-positives, possibly creating a huge number of false reports.

Furthermore, this proposal requires age verification (or age assurance) for app stores and messaging apps. While it is mentioned multiple times, that this should happen in a privacy-preserving way, such a feat can hardly be accomplished. Age verification technology requires some kind of biometric information, personal details or most of the time an actual government-issued ID. As we have seen previously, as in the case of Discord just recently, you can't rely on companies to keep your photo ID safe. Even if this were the case, you would need to expose massive amounts of private information just to access online platforms.

Currently, it is up for debate by the Coreper, where it has been moved to be a talking point next week instead of today. If it passes there, more consideration will be done before the final approval will be debated on. As I wrote previously, you can find a nice timeline of events and how to take action at fightchatcontrol.eu. Patrick Breyer also covers this topic extensively on his blog where you can read about new updates quickly in both English and German.