child protection

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Chatcontrol 2025 (resum, Catalan) - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- EU member states, urged by Denmark, want messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to use AI to scan all photos and links for potential child pornography.
- If AI detects suspicion, user data (photo, location, phone number) is automatically reported to Europol and local police.
- Even if a photo is deemed legal, a copy is retained in a database for potential future use.
- Users who refuse AI scanning for their photos and links would lose the ability to share them on WhatsApp.
- Signal has stated it will leave the EU if this regulation passes.
- Previous versions of the proposal did not include AI scanning, which was added recently.
- Police and child protection experts are already overwhelmed, and politicians often fail to provide additional resources for anti-pedophile efforts.
- The proposal creates a massive surveillance system controlled by US companies, with potential for misuse as governments have exempted their own police, military, and national security personnel from the law.
- The German government is likely to support the proposal, which could lead to it becoming law.
Brief positie regering over de CSAM-verordening - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The CSAM regulation would mandate Big Tech to monitor private messages for potential illegal content, reporting to Europol and local police, marking an unprecedented move in democracies.
- Bulk monitoring of private communications sets a dangerous precedent for expanding surveillance to other purposes, such as anti-money laundering.
- False positives from fuzzy detection technology can lead to severe consequences, including inclusion in police databases and long-term harm to innocent individuals.
- The detection technology is unreliable and can be easily manipulated to flag innocent content, while the regulation lacks procedures for handling false reports.
- The regulation heavily relies on Big Tech companies that have a history of evading EU laws, raising concerns about accountability and effectiveness.
- Instead of costly and risky technology, the text urges prioritizing resources for police and child protection services to address shortages.
- The author requests the government to oppose the CSAM regulation due to its legal, social, and technological flaws.
Alles voor de kinderen, maar doe dan wel het juiste - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The current EU CSAM proposal would create mass surveillance of all Europeans by US tech companies, scanning private WhatsApp photos and potentially reporting them to police, without effectively tackling child abuse.
- Child abuse investigations suffer from chronic backlogs and lack of resources; investing in more skilled detectives and better IT would be a more direct solution.
- Experts warn that the proposed scanner would generate a flood of false reports, overwhelming police, and drive abusers to unregulated platforms like Telegram.
- The proposal is driven by commercial interests and has been repeatedly rejected by the European Parliament, yet it keeps returning under the guise of protecting children.
- Alternative measures include adding warning buttons in chat apps, parental alerts, and targeting persistent hosts of illegal content rather than implementing widespread monitoring.
- Once implemented, the automatic scanner would be permanent and could be expanded beyond child protection, eroding privacy for all Europeans.
Chatcontrol 2025 edition in Brief - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Denmark leads EU member states in advocating for mandatory AI scanning of photos and links on platforms like WhatsApp and Signal for potential child pornography.
- If the AI has any doubt, user data (photo, location, phone number) is reported to an 'EU Centre,' Europol, and local police, potentially leading to questioning abroad.
- The regulation requires reporting unless 'manifestly unfounded,' a low bar that risks over-reporting, especially affecting young-looking people or those with children.
- Even cleared photos may be permanently stored in the EU Centre's database for unspecified future use.
- Users may lose ability to share images and links if they deny AI scanning permission; Signal has threatened to leave the EU over this law.
- The proposal has recently reintroduced AI scanning; once reported, photos are seen by at least four entities: Meta, EU Centre, Europol, and local police.
- Experts and police argue they are overwhelmed, yet politicians often allocate resources to surveillance rather than supporting vice police with training and resources.
- This surveillance system, powered by American companies, risks mission creep as history shows such capabilities expand; governments exempt their own police and military from the law.
- Germany's potential support could make this law a reality, despite opposition from intelligence agencies citing national security concerns.
Chatcontrol édition 2025 en bref - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Under Danish leadership, many EU member states demand that messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal inspect all photos and links using AI, with any suspicion of child pornography triggering automatic reporting to Europol and local police.
- The AI scanning would include location, phone number, and other details, and users could face local police questioning even for benign photos, with copies stored indefinitely even if deemed legal.
- If the regulation passes, WhatsApp would require permission to scan all shared content, and Signal has stated it would leave the EU rather than comply.
- The proposal exempts police, military, and national security personnel from the scanning, raising concerns about surveillance creep and misuse of data.
- Critics argue that resources would be better spent on training and international cooperation rather than mass surveillance, and that the AI threshold for reporting is dangerously low.
Chat Control passed first round in EU Parliament
3 months ago
- EU Parliament narrowly approves urgency motion to reconsider Chat Control 1.0 before summer break.
- Proponents aim to reinstate expired regulation allowing voluntary scans of private communications for child abuse material without suspicion.
- Critics argue the move violates parliamentary procedure and enables mass surveillance under general suspicion.
- Social Democrats cave to pressure, supporting urgency despite prior rejection of Chat Control extension.
- Tactical advantage for proponents due to lower vote threshold on final session day, making re-enactment likely.
- Concerns raised over AI scan error rates and erosion of privacy, with fears it may delay more effective regulations.
Procedural Trick Before Recess Pushes EU Towards Capitulation on "Chat Control"
3 months ago
- The European Parliament will vote on an urgent procedure to revive the previously rejected "Chat Control 1.0" regulation, which allows untargeted scanning of private chats, pushed by the EPP group and EU Member States ahead of summer recess.
- This procedural move bypasses the Parliament's earlier rejection and requires an absolute majority (361 votes) to amend or reject the Council's position; if not met, the law is automatically adopted, potentially reinstating mass surveillance without parliamentary consent.
- Critics argue the urgency undermines negotiations for a permanent child protection framework (CSA Regulation), favoring voluntary mass scanning over targeted measures, and risks stalling efforts for better online child safety.
- Rapporteur Birgit Sippel and cybersecurity experts warn against the procedure, citing high error rates in scanning technologies, privacy concerns, and reduced pressure for a viable long-term solution, with civil rights groups urging MEPs to reject the urgency.
Chat Control 1.0 vs. 2.0
3 months ago
- Chat Control 1.0 is Regulation (EU) 2021/1232, a temporary law that allowed voluntary scanning of private messages for child sexual abuse material, excluding encrypted messages; it expired in April 2026 but is being revived by the Council via a fast-track process.
- Chat Control 2.0 is the proposed permanent CSA Regulation, which would mandate detection and reporting; negotiations are deadlocked over issues like mandatory scanning and encryption, with no agreement after five trilogue rounds.
- The EU Parliament has taken protective stances, rejecting extensions of Chat Control 1.0 and advocating for targeted scanning with judicial oversight, while the Council pushes for broader scanning measures.
- Key events include the expiration of Chat Control 1.0, Council attempts to resurrect it, and ongoing trilogue failures for Chat Control 2.0, with encryption and suspicionless scanning as major points of contention.
- As of July 2026, Chat Control 1.0's revival is pending an urgency vote in Parliament, requiring an absolute majority to stop it, while Chat Control 2.0 negotiations continue under the Irish presidency.
EU Council forces Chat Control via fast-track
3 months ago
- The EU Council is pushing to reactivate the expired voluntary chat monitoring regulation via a fast-track procedure before the summer break.
- Chat Control 1.0 allowed providers to scan encrypted messages for child abuse content, but expired in April; the Council now proposes a nearly identical new regulation.
- Critics view this as a tactic to circumvent democratic oversight, aiming to rush approval when many Parliament members are absent.
- The new regulation seeks to prevent legal gaps and national fragmentation while maintaining privacy safeguards like data deletion within 12 months if no suspicion is confirmed.
- The proposal is in its 2nd reading, requiring an absolute majority in Parliament to stop or amend, a high hurdle given the timing.

child protection

Chatcontrol 2025 (resum, Catalan) - Bert Hubert's writings

Brief positie regering over de CSAM-verordening - Bert Hubert's writings

Alles voor de kinderen, maar doe dan wel het juiste - Bert Hubert's writings

Chatcontrol 2025 edition in Brief - Bert Hubert's writings

Chatcontrol édition 2025 en bref - Bert Hubert's writings

Chat Control passed first round in EU Parliament

Procedural Trick Before Recess Pushes EU Towards Capitulation on "Chat Control"

Chat Control 1.0 vs. 2.0

EU Council forces Chat Control via fast-track