Whatsapp, Telegram & Co .: EU wants to "bypass" encryption

A report caused a sensation according to which the EU wants to push through a ban on secure encryption for messenger services. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, however, they only want to look for solutions with providers that interfere as little as possible with the encryption systems.

According to the ORF radio station FM4, the terrorist attack in Vienna serves as a pretext in the EU Council of Ministers to push through a ban on secure encryption for Whatsapp, Telegram and other messenger services in an urgent manner. This emerged from an internal document dated November 6th from the German Council Presidency to the delegations of the member states in the Council, which was available to ORF. The decision has already progressed so far that it can be passed in the video conference of the interior and justice ministers at the beginning of December without further discussion, reports FM4.

In fact, the German EU Council Presidency had worked out a draft resolution on handling encryption on behalf of the EU states, confirms the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The goal is initially only a "permanent dialogue with the industry" about proposed solutions that "represent the least possible interference with the encryption systems". The draft resolution contained no proposed solutions or demands to weaken encryption systems.

Union demands quick access

Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU) does not go far enough. With drastic words, he demands more investigative powers. "The security authorities have to get all available means to hand as soon as possible in order to defuse human explosives in good time," he says. The constitutional protection law passed in the cabinet had to be passed quickly to the Bundestag "so that our investigators can evaluate this encrypted communication".

"The Islamist attacks and murders in Dresden, Nice and Vienna unfortunately remind us again how tense the security situation is," says Brinkhaus. The German intelligence services currently counted around 620 Islamist threats. "It's terrifying, and it's not something we can just put up with." The authorities describe people as dangerous if they trust politically motivated acts of violence up to and including a terrorist attack.

"Measure would be a mistake"

The FDP European politician Nicola Beer warns against quick recipes against terrorism and includes the debate about the possible encryption ban. "The measure would be a mistake," says the Vice-President of the European Parliament. "In a digital world, end-to-end encryption is the core of protected communication between citizens that we must not break open lightly." Terrorists would look for other ways after a ban, for example camouflaged via video games.

Instead, Beer calls for investigators to have better coordinated access to data from the Europol police authority, a better equipped police force and judiciary, as well as consistent action against foreign funding of "religiously disguised extremist activities". Muslim religion teachers are to be trained in Europe. Extremistically suspicious people would have to be recorded and deported, says Beer.