This week, the EU Parliament rejected chat control for the second time. 311 MEPs voted against, 228 in favor. Sounds like a victory. It isn’t.
The third attempt is coming. It always comes. Every time with a new name, new framing — but “child protection!” remains the lever that never changes. And interestingly, this time the Social Democrats (S&D) voted mostly in favor. Left-right logic has long ceased to explain anything in surveillance debates.
The Stasi, the Ministry for State Security of the GDR, was a symbol of total surveillance and oppression. With a vast network of official and unofficial collaborators, it infiltrated the most intimate areas of citizens’ lives. But what was once considered the epitome of a surveillance state now seems almost primitive compared to what Big Tech and artificial intelligence (AI) have made possible.
Introduction: # The introduction of “Chat Control” represents a dangerous development for our digital freedom and privacy. Under the guise of “security,” our personal messages and communications are being monitored and analyzed. This measure not only threatens our privacy but also the integrity of our entire digital communication. It’s time to stand up against this surveillance and defend our rights.
Apple celebrates the iPhone 16 as “the biggest leap in iPhone history” – powered by “revolutionary AI that respects your privacy.” But behind the marketing glitter lies a dark truth: The iPhone 16 is the most sophisticated surveillance machine ever placed in millions of pockets.
You wake up, check your smartphone, drive to work, buy coffee with a card, work on the computer, stream Netflix in the evening. A normal day? No. A day under total surveillance. Every day, over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are collected about us – and most people don’t even notice.
