Rights activists slam EU plan for access to encrypted chats

Domscheit-Berg accused European governments of using anxiety caused by recent extremist attacks, such as those in France and Austria, as an excuse for greater surveillance measures. — AFP

BERLIN: Digital rights campaigners on Monday criticised a proposal by European Union governments that calls for communications companies to provide authorities with access to encrypted messages.

The plan, first reported by Austrian public broadcaster FM4, reflects concern among European countries that police and intelligence services can’t easily monitor online chats that use end-to-end encryption, such as Signal or WhatsApp.