The encryption of message services such as Whatsapp or Telegram should not be weakened according to the will of the EU Commission. The Brussels authority is not planning a proposal for a general ban on encrypted communications, said EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson in a letter to three MEPs. No solution is being considered that would fundamentally weaken encryption for all citizens or directly or indirectly ban it.

No plans for weakening or back doors You can confirm “that there are no plans to go in this direction”, it says in the letter that is available to the German press agency. The Swede also excludes “the introduction of” back doors “” for access to encrypted data. Data protectionists in particular had warned against this.

The EU states, on the other hand, urge access to encrypted communication in the fight against terror and organized crime. Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) also wants this. In a declaration by the EU interior ministers in December, the responsible authorities must be able to get legal and targeted access to the data. At the same time, technical solutions would have to observe the principles of legality and proportionality as well as the protection of personal data. One wants to create an “active debate with the technology industry”. This is important from the point of view of the EU countries because investigators and authorities are increasingly dependent on electronic evidence – and these are often encrypted.

Clear rejection The EU Commission last took up this initiative in the anti-terror plan. They want to work with the EU states on possible legal, operational and technical solutions for legal access to encrypted data. Civil society organizations and privacy advocates ran a storm and warned against providing access to the data through a “technical back door”. This damages the confidentiality of communication.

Johansson’s letter from Monday is now a response to a letter from the liberal MEPs Moritz Körner, Claudia Gamon and Sophie in ‘t Veld from November, which was also sent to other EU Commissioners as well as EU Council President Charles Michel and Interior Minister Seehofer went. More than 50 other MPs had joined the letter. Johansson’s answer is now clearer than ever. In doing so, she recalls earlier commitments by the EU Commission not to weaken encrypted communication. Recently, no such clarifications were made.

“It is good that the commission clarifies that it is not planning any legislative initiatives to ban encryption and also no back doors for security authorities,” said FDP politician Körner of the dpa. “The Commission is either unimpressed by the plans for encryption promoted in the Council under the German Council Presidency or takes the massive public opposition to the plans seriously. Both are good for civil rights in Europe!” Seehofer must finally recognize that his plans on the subject of encryption “have led to a dead end”.

(mho)