On January 30, the EU Council voted to endorse a two-year extension of "Chat Control 1.0". This is a significant setback. If passed, it legalizes the mass scanning of private messages and photos by US tech giants using error-prone AI, without any suspicion of crime. It also paves the way for mandatory ID verification (ending anonymity) and effectively bans anyone under 17 from using messaging apps. potentially preventing them from even chatting with their own parents.

However, the fight is not over.

The Council's vote is not the final word. Under EU legislative procedures, the European Parliament must also agree to the extension. Right now, the power to stop this lies with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

They are deliberating this week to set the Parliament's position before the current regulation expires in April. If the LIBE Committee stands firm and rejects the extension, this mass surveillance regime can still be stopped.

We must act now to influence their decision.

Please do not stay silent. Contact the LIBE Committee members. Tell them to reject the extension of the Regulation and to defend our fundamental right to privacy.

We need targeted, judicial solutions, not a permanent state of mass surveillance.

https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

#ChatControl #EU #Privacy #DigitalRights #StopSurveillance #LibeCommittee #MassSurveillance #EUPolitics

On January 30, the EU Council voted to endorse a two-year extension of "Chat Control 1.0". This is a significant setback. If passed, it legalizes the mass scanning of private messages and photos by US tech giants using error-prone AI, without any suspicion of crime. It also paves the way for mandatory ID verification (ending anonymity) and effectively bans anyone under 17 from using messaging apps. potentially preventing them from even chatting with their own parents.

However, the fight is not over.

The Council's vote is not the final word. Under EU legislative procedures, the European Parliament must also agree to the extension. Right now, the power to stop this lies with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

They are deliberating this week to set the Parliament's position before the current regulation expires in April. If the LIBE Committee stands firm and rejects the extension, this mass surveillance regime can still be stopped.

We must act now to influence their decision.

Please do not stay silent. Contact the LIBE Committee members. Tell them to reject the extension of the Regulation and to defend our fundamental right to privacy.

We need targeted, judicial solutions, not a permanent state of mass surveillance.

https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

#ChatControl #EU #Privacy #DigitalRights #StopSurveillance #LibeCommittee #MassSurveillance #EUPolitics

There is a mailingtool in English, that can be used to contact MEPs. @chatcontrol: https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

The German coalition against #ChatControl, #ChatkontrolleSTOPPEN @Chatgeheimnis, offers advice on how to contact German-speaking MEPs and listed the relevant (shadow-)rapporteurs, who coordinate the European Parliament position: https://chat-kontrolle.eu/index.php/2026/02/01/aufruf-eprivacy-luecke-schliessen/

Do you know more resources in other languages that can help people to contact their MEPs in their own language? Please share!

#ChatControl 1.0 is supposed to expire in April, but the European Commission wants to allow companies the indiscriminate scanning of private messages for two more years.

For multiple years at #FreedomNotFear, participants discussed that this is disproportionate mass surveillance and should be stopped. Activists are now calling on members of the European Parliament to reject the extension proposed by the Commission. What about you?

LA UE ha decidido hacer su propia versión del día de la marmota: están volviendo a traer Chat Control (lo de poner a una IA a leer todos los mensajes, incluso privados y encriptados). La web https://fightchatcontrol.eu/ ayuda a contactar a vuestros eurodiputados para decirles (otra vez) que por ahí no es #fightchatcontrol #chatcontrol #stopchatcontrol

LA UE ha decidido hacer su propia versión del día de la marmota: están volviendo a traer Chat Control (lo de poner a una IA a leer todos los mensajes, incluso privados y encriptados). La web https://fightchatcontrol.eu/ ayuda a contactar a vuestros eurodiputados para decirles (otra vez) que por ahí no es #fightchatcontrol #chatcontrol #stopchatcontrol

There is a mailingtool in English, that can be used to contact MEPs. @chatcontrol: https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

The German coalition against #ChatControl, #ChatkontrolleSTOPPEN @Chatgeheimnis, offers advice on how to contact German-speaking MEPs and listed the relevant (shadow-)rapporteurs, who coordinate the European Parliament position: https://chat-kontrolle.eu/index.php/2026/02/01/aufruf-eprivacy-luecke-schliessen/

Do you know more resources in other languages that can help people to contact their MEPs in their own language? Please share!

#ChatControl 1.0 is supposed to expire in April, but the European Commission wants to allow companies the indiscriminate scanning of private messages for two more years.

For multiple years at #FreedomNotFear, participants discussed that this is disproportionate mass surveillance and should be stopped. Activists are now calling on members of the European Parliament to reject the extension proposed by the Commission. What about you?

Important point reiterated by @marcel_kolaja at #FOSDEM about the #ProtectEU #GoingDark attacks on encryption:

"There is no 'technical lawful access to end-to-end encrypted communication without breaking privacy and security. Period!"
#ClientSideScanning #ChatControl

Important point reiterated by @marcel_kolaja at #FOSDEM about the #ProtectEU #GoingDark attacks on encryption:

"There is no 'technical lawful access to end-to-end encrypted communication without breaking privacy and security. Period!"
#ClientSideScanning #ChatControl

RE: https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/@thenewoil/115971195227745876

Next up will be a VPN ban. Many tech-y people will see that and think “lol yeah well that’s not going to stop *me* from using a VPN”

A VPN ban isn’t really meant stop you from using one. It means when they catch you doing so, they’ll use the fact you’re using this harmless technology itself as a *pretense* to lock you up without needing to do any “hard work” (i.e. an investigator’s job) like actually confirming whether you committed a real crime.

Don’t think you won’t be impacted just because you know how to outsmart an ISP filter! This is not a plan to protect children or stop you from consuming adult media. It is a ploy to eventually eliminate ALL freedom of expression and free access to information in the UK.

And the same goes for Chat Control and encrypted messengers, btw

#UKpol #VPNban #PornHub #ChatControl #Privacy #FreeSpeech #SocialMedia

@aral @jonah

Wireguard is desiged to be easy, but easy comes minor risks.

>By default, WireGuard stores your IP address on a VPN server until it reboots

For most people this is no issue, in countries like China, Iran, Russia and a few others, it can be an issue. see:

https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/openvpn-vs-wireguard-which-protocol-is-best-for-your-vpn?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=A

#UKpol #VPNban #PornHub #ChatControl #Privacy #FreeSpeech #SocialMedia