- Under Denmark's lead, many EU member states are pushing to force messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal to scan all photos and links with AI for potential child sexual abuse material.
- If the AI has any doubt, the photo, location, phone number, and other data are sent to a new EU Centre, then to Europol and local police, with no clear process for what happens next.
- The AI is built by WhatsApp/Meta/Facebook, meaning they monitor users on behalf of the EU; all photos are scanned without any specific suspicion.
- Even if a photo is deemed legal, a copy is retained by the EU Centre for potential future use.
- Users who refuse consent for AI scanning will lose the ability to send images and links; Signal has threatened to leave the EU if forced to implement such scanning.
- Police and experts already overwhelmed with reports; politicians often claim to act 'for the children' but rarely provide more resources for child protection units.
- The proposal creates a massive surveillance system run by Americans, while EU governments exempt their own police, military, and intelligence services from the law.
- The Dutch government opposes the AI scanning requirement, but it remains a contentious issue, especially with upcoming elections.
- The EU also has a broader ProtectEU strategy to give police more access to communications, including new rules for wiretapping specific messages.