PieFed DK"Just before a decisive meeting in Brussels, digital rights expert and former Member of the European Parliament Dr
Miguel Afonso Caetano"Just before a decisive meeting in Brussels, digital rights expert and former Member of the European Parliament Dr. Patrick Breyer is sounding the alarm. Using a “deceptive sleight of hand,” a mandatory and expanded Chat Control is being pushed through the back door, in a form even more intrusive than the originally rejected plan. The legislative package could be greenlit tomorrow in a closed-door EU working group session.
“This is a political deception of the highest order,” warns Breyer. “Following loud public protests, several member states including Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Austria said ‘No’ to indiscriminate Chat Control. Now it’s coming back through the back door – disguised, more dangerous, and more comprehensive than ever. The public is being played for fools.”
According to Breyer, the new compromise proposal is a Trojan horse containing three poison pills for digital freedom:"
"Breyer suggests the following immediate corrections before any government should agree:
- No mandatory chat control through the back door: Clarify that scans cannot be enforced as “risk mitigation.”
- No AI chat police: Restrict scanning to known child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
- No mass surveillance: Only allow targeted surveillance of suspects based on a court order.
- Preserve the right to anonymity: The mandatory age verification requirements must be scrapped.
“They are selling us security but delivering a total surveillance machine,” Breyer concludes. “They promise child protection but punish our children and criminalize privacy. This is not a compromise – this is a fraud against the citizen. And no democratic government should make itself an accomplice.”"