EU anti-encryption crusaders seek to turn your digital devices into spyware

A few days after EU citizens were called to vote on their next parliamentary representatives, we just have a rough idea of what the upcoming political squad will look like. What is certain, however, is that anti-encryption sentiments are still thriving across the Union.

We already reported the revised proposal to halt the spread of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that wants your permission to scan your WhatsApp messages. Now, a leaked 42-point plan puts forward new recommendations on how companies must handle people's online activities, including data retention, access, and interception of all digital services.

The goal is simple: make the digital devices we use every day, from smartphones and smart homes to IoT devices and even cars, legally and technically monitorable at all times by law enforcement bodies.

According to Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad—one of the best VPNs around with a privacy-first mandate—all encrypted traffic will no longer be private and secure if the legislation passes. "A VPN won’t help either," he told me. "It would mean total surveillance and that Europe's inhabitants carry state spyware in their pockets."