?War upon end-to-end encryption?: EU wants Big Tech to scan private messages

A European Commission proposal could force tech companies to scan private messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and evidence of grooming, even when those messages are supposed to be protected by end-to-end encryption.Online services that receive "detection orders" under the pending European Union legislation would have "obligations concerning the detection, reporting, removal and blocking of known and new child sexual abuse material, as well as solicitation of children, regardless of the technology used in the online exchanges," the proposal says. Therefore, this Regulation leaves to the provider concerned the choice of the technologies to be operated to comply effectively with detection orders and should not be understood as incentivising or disincentivising the use of any given technology, provided that the technologies and accompanying measures meet the requirements of this Regulation.That includes the use of end-to-end encryption technology, which is an important tool to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the communications of users, including those of children. A detection order would be "limited in time, targeting a specific type of content on a specific service," and instruct the company receiving the order to scan "for known or new child sexual abuse material or grooming." Grooming means "solicitation of children," the announcement said.Other parts of the proposal "require app stores to ensure that children cannot download apps that may expose them to a high risk of solicitation of children." Additionally, "providers that have detected online child sexual abuse will have to report it to the EU Centre," and "national authorities can issue removal orders if the child sexual abuse material is not swiftly taken down.