WhatsApp: privacy endangered? EU calls for chat control

• One has existed since 2016 End-to-end encryption in the chats WhatsApp.
• The I now calls for security agencies encrypted communications can read along.
• The concept holds hazards and meets with violent politicians criticism.

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Kassel – The Messenger WhatsApp* only switched to a safe in 2016 Encryption and guaranteed users private chat conversations that only the sender and recipient can read. But that could soon change again: at the request of the I should Security agencies will soon be able to read the encrypted communication. Everyone’s privacy will eventually suffer.

EU demands monitoring of communication: Messenger like WhatsApp should reveal chats

Confidential conversations, gossip and private appointments – chat history at WhatsApp are since 2016 with the End-to-end encryption secured from third parties and therefore only readable by senders and receivers. But this valuable privacy could soon be a thing of the past: As zeit.de reports, the Ithat Law enforcement agencies in the future should read messages from messenger services in order to fight serious crimes.

In a new resolution dated December 14, 2020 with the title “Security with encryption and security despite encryption”, demand Interior Minister of the European Union advanced Monitoring rights, one Terrorism, Organized Crime, and Child Abuse easier to detect and prevent. But not only offenders, but also human rights activists, public prosecutors, police officers and politicians can be observed with this decision, as one Encryption can not only be invoked for some and not for some.

Access to chats on WhatsApp and Co .: EU requires interfaces to monitor criminals

The political argument behind the resolution is that society is from a penetrable encryption will benefit since Security agencies and intelligence services can better track down and prosecute criminals, for example terrorists. However, this consideration is in contrast to that social privacythat is lost as a result. Are only communications from criminals guaranteed to be intercepted and read?

To the Law enforcement agencies To enable access to the messages, a so-called two-track principle could come into question – Interception system, in which end-to-end encryption runs on one track, which in turn can be forwarded to another unencrypted. So that prosecutors in the context of a necessary Monitoring communications The providers must be able to access chats, for example on WhatsApp on Facebook *, so that this is then a Interface for certain chats activate. Such Control options should however only be used in a country-specific and targeted manner in connection with serious criminal offenses.

Chat control on WhatsApp: EU decision meets with much criticism

But that Concept has a catch: if a so-called “Back door” Once it is installed, it is not only accessible to authorities, but also to other states, intelligence agents and hackers. Companies can thus become more vulnerable to attack. The Demand from the EU therefore comes across a lot criticism From a few EU parliamentarians: “How should lawyers, law enforcement officers, human rights activists or journalists be able to communicate in a protected manner when a third person or authority can potentially read? How should companies protect their trade secrets? ”Said MEP of the Pirate Party, Patrick Breyer.