Protecting Privacy Everywhere: A Roundup

Various grassroots movements and organizations have strengthened their advocacy to protect strong encryption. These groups, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Fight for the Future, are working tirelessly to educate the public and rally support against policies and proposed bills that threaten online privacy.

One of the most prominent fronts in this ongoing struggle is the defense of end-to-end encryption in particular, the importance of which we noted in our previous post.

Let's take a moment to catch up on the latest developments surrounding legislation that might impact the access and implementation of this crucial security standard.

Privacy Roundup:

• Experts recently highlighted concerns over the European Union's (EU) proposal to scan private messages for CSAM. Many of the tools designed for this purpose failed to meet established criteria and were deemed unfit for mass deployment in end-to-end encrypted environments. Critics noted that client-side scanning, which may be mandated by law, is a nascent technology, and rushing its adoption could compromise users’ right to privacy and basic security. Concerns were also raised about the potential misuse of the gathered data by entities like Europol.
• The Mozilla Foundation launched its first ever annual Creep-o-Meter to show the state of privacy online, and the results for 2023 are, well, very creepy!

• More than 30 digital rights groups in the U.S. relaunched a campaign advocating for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to restore net neutrality after it was repealed in 2017. The campaign is leading a push for U.S. Congress to codify net neutrality rules into law. Visit Battle for the Net to learn more and take action!
• Catching steam amongst U.S. lawmakers, the Cooper Davis Act paves the way for heightened surveillance of all messaging apps and undermines the encryption technology essential for privacy and security. The EFF has a call to action to protect messaging services from this overreach.
• In a worrying trend, France's Interior Minister is urging backdoors to bypass end-to-end encryption in messaging apps, which poses grave privacy risks. This narrative sets a dangerous precedent that could erode trust in our daily interactions and compromise the very essence of secure, private communication.
• Given the current wave of legislation challenging privacy and robust encryption, it's crucial to monitor the rise of quantum computing, as its potential to break today's encryption methods exacerbate privacy concerns. Quantum computers can execute programs that could solve the mathematical problems underpinning current encryption techniques, rendering much of today's encrypted data vulnerable. Learn more about how quantum technologies are shifting the privacy and security landscapes.

Staying Alert

This roundup is part of a series we will continue to curate via our blog. Undermining end-to-end encryption makes everyone less safe, and protecting our right to it everywhere is an important way to stand up for privacy in a world where it is increasingly under threat. Part of our mission at XMTP Labs is ensuring that privacy, data ownership and portability become uncompromising standards in our connected world. If you’re curious, intrigued, and motivated by this vision - our team is growing!