Ylva Johansson Defends Controversial Bill Allowing Internet Companies to Scan Digital Communications
Sweden’s EU Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, is facing pushback over a proposed bill that would allow internet companies to scan all digital communications, including encrypted chats, in an effort to find sexual abuse of children. The bill has been met with criticism from both the EU Parliament and cyber experts who argue that it violates personal privacy.
Johansson has defended the bill, comparing the technology to a police dog that sniffs out drugs. “It marks if there is cocaine in a package, but what is in the other packages that do not contain cocaine, the police dog does not know that,” she said during an appearance on SVT’s 30 minutes.
According to Johansson, the new law would not grant third parties access to the content of communications. “You don’t look at the content, but scan for sexual abuse of children. It is not anyone who reads what you have written or knows what you have sent,” she explained.
When asked how the bill would identify child abuse material without looking at the content, Johansson claimed it is a technique that has been used for many years. She emphasized that the device only detects instances of sexual abuse of children.
Despite her defense of the bill, the EU Parliament has voted against it, and the Council of Ministers has not yet taken a position.
The controversial bill has sparked a heated debate around the balance between combating child sexual abuse and protecting individual privacy rights. The issue is likely to continue to be fiercely contested as it moves through the legislative process.