Signal CEO slams EU 'upload moderation' surveillance strategy for undermining encrypted communications

On June 18th, the president of the instant messaging application Signal fiercely criticized a revised EU proposal aimed at monitoring encrypted chats under a "new guise." The European Commission first proposed the Chat Control Act in mid-2022, attempting to effectively compel instant messaging applications to create backdoors for end-to-end encrypted messages through some rules.

In November of last year, the European Parliament Committee voted against large-scale screening of encrypted telecommunications, but a revised draft law is seeking an alternative method of large-scale scanning called "upload moderation" to combat online child sexual abuse content.

In a statement on June 17th, Signal President Meredith Whittaker believes that the "upload moderation" label is just another strategy to "undermine encryption," which would make it easier for hackers and hostile countries to exploit private chats.