Mechanisms for so-called chat control have been the subject of debate for a long time. This is a reaction to the fact that almost all relevant communication now runs via encrypted channels and can no longer be easily read. Therefore, one is now looking for other ways to implement state control of the content. Suspicious content – depictions of abuse of children are currently under discussion, but this could easily be expanded – should then be automatically reported to the responsible authorities.
Work is in progress on the corresponding legal framework, which currently still violates the EU data protection directive. And Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser would also like to make a sniffing function on smartphones mandatory, reports Netzpolitik.org. Contrary to the agreements in the coalition agreement, which also states: “We reject general monitoring obligations, measures to scan private communications and an identification obligation.”
Steady drip…
Together with her employees in the ministry, she largely softened up the other members of the federal government on various points. This applies, for example, to the introduction of general monitoring obligations for service providers. That would mean, for example, that the operators of a social network or a messenger platform should actively look for misconduct by users. So far, they only have to take action when they are informed about problems.
This applies in particular to communication content that is not encrypted. E-mails, for example, or unencrypted backups in cloud storage, should be able to be searched by algorithms – at least if Faeser has his way. At these points there is still contradiction on the part of their FDP colleagues. The question is for how much longer.
The Ministry of the Interior has also anchored age verification by presenting an ID card in a joint position paper, which has so far been rejected by the FDP-led ministries. In addition, to a certain extent, the spirit of network blocking, which was believed to be long gone, is making a comeback. If, in the near future, delegates from the Ministry of the Interior represent the German position at EU level, the interests of the users will only play a subordinate role.
See also:
- SPD-led Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to enable automated control of digital communication.
- The legal framework must be adjusted.
- Sniffing function on smartphones is required.
- Service providers should actively look for misconduct.
- Age verification with ID card is required.
- Network blocks should be introduced to a certain extent.
Politics, federal government, government, politician, federal cabinet, federal cabinet 2021, federal cabinet 2022, interior ministry, interior minister, federal interior minister, federal interior ministry, bmi, Nancy Faeser, federal minister of the interior and homeland
