this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2024

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The EU proposal to scan all your WhatsApp chats is back on the agenda (www.techradar.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by schizoidman@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

93 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22814154

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[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

You shouldn't be using whatsapp anyway.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago

First they came for whatsapp. I didn't say anything because I don't use whattsapp.

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It would concern all messaging apps, which is beyond stupid. Lol, even nato uses the matrix protocol.

[–] randombullet@programming.dev 4 points 2 weeks ago

Lots of defense uses XMPP as well

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

No, this would only affect the ones run by corporations with a presence in the EU

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh, I thought that was clear by context..

I definitely would sideload the secure versions, if I was affected, which got more easy thanks to EU, lol

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Again, no sideloading needed. You're misunderstanding the executive.

They enforce this by freezing bank accounts and issuing fines to corporations, not by internet censorship.

So any company that doesn't have money flowing through the EU is unaffected. And any company that does have money flowing through the EU has a choice to either pull out of the EU or to fuck over their users.

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I’m sure, that they would ask apple and google to remove all messaging apps from organisations with no EU money flow?

Or do you not think so too?

[–] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago

I don't see how this would be a problem either except on Apple. Blocking the sites offering the apk/deb/exe/etc - good luck, doubt their censorship skills are that good given that they're unlikely to want a ton of collateral damage like more authoritarian places.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago

I dont think that would be legal, no.

[+] Free_Opinions@feddit.uk -13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

And instead use what? Signal? And then chat with the zero other people who use it?

Telling europeans to not use whatsapp is like telling people not to use the power grid. It's more popular here than iMessages are in the US.

[–] Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I'm European using signal, I frequent in two countries very often (not neighbouring countries) and for the past two years I've noticed more and more people using signal.

Ditched whatsapp half a year ago and haven't had problems. Some friends use both signal and whatsapp.

Not saying many in whole Europe use signal but it certainly is not only popular in US.

Edit: but not saying using signal will change anything if this bill passes. No matter what popular app we use we are going to have no privacy at all if this thing passes...

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

WhatsApp uses the same encryption as Signal and chat screening won't be exclusive to WhatsApp anyway, so whatever WhatsApp will need to implement to comply, Signal will have to follow.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Signal is open source, so no it will always be available without chat control. https://github.com/signalapp

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Good luck setting up your own server and convincing everybody else to use that.

Signal is not federated. It relies on a central server, meaning for all intends and purposes Signal controls the entire chain.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

End to end encrypted, I think chat control is all about client-side scanning so the app being open source is a big deal and would prevent client-side scanning because even if they build in client-side scanning, it's open source and people can remove it.

[–] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 1 points 2 weeks ago

Signal is pretty control freak-y, so would not be surprised if they can somehow prohibit third-party modifications entirely. That would be out-of-character for them, though, so doubt they would actually go through with this.

Still, if that went through, I'd discount all the centralized solutions.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Just have the server link a hidden device, boom, all chats decrypted.

[–] Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago

Very true. It wont matter what pops up in the appstore after either.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 2 weeks ago

Only if they do business in the EU..

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world -5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Why do you assume I'm American? I am, but you would have no way of knowing that. I could be Croatian for all you know.

[–] HC4L@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

Nobody assumed that, but you still haven't answered the question..

[–] Free_Opinions@feddit.uk 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I haven't made any assumptions about where you're from. I'm only arguing against the blanket statement of telling everyone to stop using whatsapp.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago

Sorry but if you want private messaging Signal is your only option. I'm sorry you all have to deal with it but now is a good time to bully friends and family into switching to Signal.