November 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The European Union (EU) is looking to create “back doors” which would allow government policing agencies the ability to access people’s private messages posted on popular messaging applications such as Facebook’s Messenger, Signal, WhatsApp, and others.
According to an alleged internal document made public titled “Draft Council Resolution on Encryption,”the EU draft resolution would set in motion the potential chipping away of so-called “end-to-end” encryption on messaging apps.
The draft resolution is dated November 6 and was posted and shared by the Austrian public broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).
While the document acknowledges that privacy using encryption is a “necessary means of protecting fundamental rights and the digital security of governments, industry and society,” it also states that encryption has “hindered law enforcement agencies ability to combat terrorism, organised crime, child sexual abuse, and other cybercrime.”
“For competent authorities, access to electronic evidence is not only essential to conduct successful investigations and thereby bring criminals to justice, but also to protect victims and help ensure security,” the draft resolution reads.
End-to-end encryption stops any potential entity other than the one who sent the message and its recipient from viewing messages.
The ORF report notes that the draft resolution, which was addressed from the Presidency of the Council of the European Union to eight delegations, was classified as “Limite,” meaning it is not available to the public.
The draft resolution goes on to state that the EU is looking at actively discussing “with the technology industry” while “associating research and academia,” to ensure the “continued implementation and use of strong encryption technology.”
However, the draft resolution then states that “Competent authorities” must be allowed to access to data in a “lawful and targeted manner, in full respect of fundamental rights and the data protection regime, while upholding cybersecurity.”
“Technical solutions for gaining access to encrypted data must comply with the principles of legality, transparency, necessity and proportionality.”
Young Poles defending their church against pro-abortion aggression stemming from the decision of the country's Constitutional Court to protect the lives of sick unborn babies. Photo Credit: Polonia Christiana
Since the Constitutional Court of Poland's decision on October 22nd to protect and vindicate the right to life of sick preborn children, leftist pro-abort feminists have been attacking churches, government officials and pro-lifers across Poland in a foul display of bloody-minded vulgarity.
But, we STAND with Poland. And, we PRAY for Poland.
Please WATCH this video which congratulates faithful Catholics in Poland for their pro-life example and for standing up to rioters trying to vandalize statues, churches.
We now call on all pro-lifers, faithful Christians (especially in the Polish diaspora) and pro-life organizations to SIGN this petition to encourage pro-lifers in Poland, the Polish Constitutional Court, and especially the Polish Government to remain steadfastly pro-life right now.
And we call on all faithful Polish Catholics to defend their churches and patriotic monuments!
This is the time to keep faith with generations of Polish heroes and "Be not afraid!"
This is not the time for the Government to give-in to demands from the opposition.
Stand up against the people who are attacking your churches while baying for the blood of innocent preborn children!
And, explain to your people how the Court was RIGHT to have challenged the abortion law allowing the barbaric practice of eugenic abortion.
Poland is a republican democracy, and in such a democracy, the Constitutional Court has the last say on matters of national importance.
The Polish Court has spoken, and its ruling should be respected and implemented. And, under no circumstances should the Polish Government promise to reverse this decision in law or by granting a referendum on the same.
Poland, be courageous and stand fast for Life. Don't give in to the Culture of Death!
Thank you for your example, Poland. Now, remain strong!
And, thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition of support and solidarity with the Constitutional Court of Poland's decision to disallow eugenic abortion.
Thank you also for standing with and praying for Polish pro-lifers and government officials to remain steadfastly pro-life during time of leftist, pro-abortion aggression.
After you sign and share, could you also take the time to congratulate the Polish pro-life movement for their historic victory in defense of human life, and to offer emotional and spiritual support? Please contact:
The Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture
- Jerzy Kwaśniewski, Esq., President
- Zielna 39
- 00-108 Warszawa
- Poland
- Tel: +48 22 404 38 50
- Fax +48 22 127 91 25
- [email protected]
AND
- ul. J. I. Kraszewskiego 27/22 05-800 Pruszków
- Poland
- Tel: +48 608 594 158
- [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Poland bans eugenic abortion, possibly saving over 1K babies per year' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/poland-bans-eugenic-abortion-possibly-saving-over-1k-babies-per-year
Despite a call in the resolution to allow “competent authorities” the ability to access private personal data on messaging apps, it concludes by stating that since “there is no single way of achieving the set goals,” and that governments along with industry and academia all need to “work together to strategically create this balance.”
The Five Eyes intelligence alliance, made up of the UK, Canada, US, Australia, and New Zealand, and who in May warned that China lied to the world about coronavirus, said in October that tech manufacturers should include “backdoors” into their products.
Some politicians and activist groups have blasted the idea of the EU trying in any way to limit the encryption ability of private messaging apps.
Lord Daniel Moylan from the United Kingdom (UK) blasted the draft resolution in a tweet posted on November 8, saying it was a good thing the U.K. left the EU.
“Thank God we got out. It would have been excruciating hearing Remainers defend this,” wrote Moylan on Twitter with a link to the report.
Also taking aim at the draft resolution was the UK group Big Brother Watch, who wrote on Twitter, “Make no mistake: they are trying to ban the right to a private conversation.”
Make no mistake: they are trying to ban the right to a private conversation. https://t.co/NjcZgfCVRr
— Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) November 9, 2020
In a report published on the site IT Pro, Ray Walsh, who works as a digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, said that the EU move to “ban encryption” from popular messaging applications would be “a massive threat to data privacy as we know it.”
“It is a disappointing change in approach from the EU which has previously been pro-privacy for European citizens,” said Walsh. The IT expert said that not only is breaking encryption “a threat to national security, but that “the ability to communicate privately is a vital part of any free society.”
The draft document states that the resolution will be presented to the Council of Permanent Representatives of the EU towards the end of November, and could even pass without any debate, as it is classified as an “I-item.”
To become law, the European Commission needs to take up the resolution, however, and it remains uncertain if this will be done.