WhatsApp competitor Signal threatens to withdraw from Europe

The head of the signal app criticized plans in the EU that Messenger back doors should have to enable the automatic search for criminal content. “If we were given the choice of either the integrity of our encryption and our data protection guarantees or leaving Europe, we would unfortunately make the decision to leave the market,” said Meredith Whittaker of the German Press Agency (dpa). The data protection expert is President of the non-profit signal foundation in the United States, which develops signal.

The European Union has been advising on a law for three years to re -regulate the fight against representations of sexual child abuse. The proposal of a corresponding regulation stipulates that messengers such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram or Threema should enable the content to be checked before encryption. For this, the apps would have to contain a control mechanism that can check any content.

“Not only the good ones have access to a back door”

Whittaker said Signal would never undermine the integrity of his end-to-end encryption. “It guarantees the privacy of millions and millions of people around the world, often also in life -threatening situations.” Therefore, signal is drawing the chat control. “It is unfortunate that politicians continue to fall for a kind of magical thinking that assumes that you can create a back door that only have the good access.”

In the debate about chatting in the EU, the European Parliament had faced such plans – with a large majority across all political camps. In contrast, there was a majority for chat control in the Member States Council. But without Germany and some other states, the plans were not enforceable here either. This could now change under Denmark’s presidency.

Unclear attitude of the federal government

It will be important how Germany positions itself. The coalition agreement of the Black and red federal government states: “We are fighting discrimination in digital space and protecting digital fundamental rights. In principle, we ensure confidentiality of private communication and anonymity on the net.” However, the word “basically” indicates that exceptions can be approved by this principle. Critics fear that it should also be possible to install back doors into WhatsApp, signal and the like.

Signal boss Whittaker said that in the worst case you would work with partners and the community to see if you can find ways to avoid these rules. Signal also did this when the app was blocked in Russia or Iran. “But in the end we would leave the market before we had to comply with dangerous laws like this.”

Warning of the AI ​​agents

In conversation with the dpa, Whittaker also warned of the use of so-called AI agents, i.e. software robots with artificial intelligence who are on the Internet on behalf of the user and do things independently to reserve a table in a restaurant or to coordinate appointments among friends. “These AI agents require enormous access options and almost unlimited authorizations. They receive access to important applications and services-from the calendar, via the email account, the signal app or the credit card.”

So that the apps can effectively defend themselves against spying against spying, the manufacturers of the operating systems for computers and mobile phones are now duty – i.e. Microsoft with Windows, Google with Android and Apple, especially with iOS for the iPhone. You would have to set up an objection to AI agents at the development level.