Żgħażagħ Laburisti Warns EU Plans On Encryption Could Put Digital Privacy At Risk

Żgħażagħ Laburisti, is the youth organisation of Partit Laburista.

In a statement Żgħażagħ Laburisti, said “Żgħażagħ Laburisti (ŻL) fully support the principle of proportionality between the fundamental rights of citizens and the rights of society as a whole. We believe that this principle is not currently being reflected in the ongoing European debate, where the concept of ‘end-to-end encryption’ is under threat. So far, however, this debate has not resulted in any official proposal.”

The Communications Office of Żgħażagħ Laburisti continued, “Should such a proposal be advanced, it could impact the fundamental right of every individual: the right to privacy. This immediately raises questions about the proportionality between the means suggested and the intended goal. There is no doubt that the goal is legitimate – the protection of minors and that they must be fully protected. However, the measures proposed go beyond what is necessary to achieve this objective.

On the other hand, we fully support the European Parliament’s discussions on regulations aimed at protecting minors, provided these discussions do not include elements of ‘chat control’. Such discussions are timely and necessary to strengthen the fight against the abuse of minors, and we believe that similar debates should continue.

At present, despite certain platforms using end-to-end encryption, the police can access these messages with a court order if there is suspicion of illegal activity. In light of this, we call for this process to be strengthened, ensuring timely and efficient action in response to such reports.”

They concluded, “Therefore, if this power already exists, is it fair to override the fundamental right to privacy through disproportionate measures, rather than strengthening the tools that already exist? How much confidence can we have that we can communicate freely about our thoughts?

If such proposals are pursued, they could pose a threat to the principle of end-to-end encryption, potentially undermining the digital privacy of every individual.”

What do you think?

#MaltaDaily