Signals chief slams EU’s latest ‘upload moderator’ spying scheme

The president of messaging app Signal wants to monitor encrypted chats under a “new brand” of the revised EU proposal.

The European Union Commission originally proposed a chat regulation law in mid-2022, trying to push for rules that would effectively force messaging apps to use end-to-end encrypted messages.

An EU parliamentary committee voted against mass surveillance of encrypted telecommunications in November last year, but the revised draft law is now seeking an alternative mass surveillance system – dubbed the “crucifix” – to prevent online child sexual abuse.

In a June 17 statement, Signal President Meredith Whittaker argued that the “upload moderation” tag is simply another way to “weaken encryption,” making it easier for hackers and hostile governments to exploit private chats.

“Instead of using the previous term ‘client-side scanning', they rebranded it and now call it ‘upload moderation'. Some are saying that ‘upload modification' doesn't weaken encryption because it happens before your message or video is encrypted. This is far from the truth.

Whittarker emphasized that end-to-end encryption is the key to privacy technology in an “unprecedented environment where corporate surveillance exists” and must be protected at all costs.

The revised Chat Control Act proposal would require telecommunication service operators to implement a “cross-measure” approach to combat child exploitation.

Ideas include mass scanning of everyone's private conversations through a government-run database into an artificial intelligence model to detect objectionable speech and content.

But, Whittaker said these “shameful branding practices” won't fool encryption experts, calling on lawmakers to stop playing “word games.”

Whether the breach comes from malicious, forcing chats to pass through a monitoring system before being encrypted or otherwise is irrelevant, Whittar said.

“We can call it a backdoor, a frontdoor, or ‘cross-moderation.'

“Again, let's be very clear: Mass scanning of private communications fundamentally weakens encryption. Four points.”

Related: Worldcoin faces bans around the world as privacy fears rise.

The Signal messaging application uses elliptic curve cryptography as a public key cryptosystem to support end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video services.

Last year, the company hinted it would leave the UK market after the passage of the Online Safety Bill, which could allow authorities a backdoor for end-to-end encryption services.

Signal has embraced cryptocurrencies — which use encryption to secure transactions — as has one of its rivals, Telegram, in recent months.

However, it will start accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and ten other coins in March 2021 to support the Signal Technology Foundation.

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