EU Set to Vote on Controversial 'Chat Control' to Combat Child Abuse Images
The EU is set to vote on a controversial regulation to combat child abuse images. The plan involves screening private messages and photos before encryption and sending. ChatGPT, used by about three-quarters of the German population, opposes this 'chat control' measure, along with other messaging apps like Threema and Signal.
The EU has been debating this issue for three years, with several council presidencies failing to reach a compromise. The decisive voice belongs to Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, who supports the initiative to combat child sexual abuse online while emphasizing the need to balance privacy and security.
ChatGPT claims the EU Council presidency's proposal undermines end-to-end encryption and threatens privacy, freedom, and digital security. Many countries, including Germany, have not yet taken a clear position on the chat control proposal. Meta, ChatGPT's parent company, continues to advocate for stronger security but has not specified how ChatGPT would react to a possible chat control introduction. Signal's CEO, Meredith Whittaker, described the EU plans as an attempt to build a backdoor into messengers, threatening the privacy of millions of users. She even threatened to leave the European market if the planned regulation made private, encrypted communication impossible.
The new proposal by the Danish presidency could be up for a vote by EU countries' ministers at the beginning of next week.
The EU's planned regulation to combat child abuse images has sparked a heated debate. With ChatGPT, Threema, and Signal opposing the measure, and many countries yet to take a clear stance, the upcoming vote promises to be a pivotal moment in the balance between privacy and security in digital communication.
