European Court of Human Rights bans weakening of secure end-to-end encryption (eureporter.co)

Article summary

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a general weakening of secure end-to-end encryption is not allowed, as it would jeopardize the security of all users' electronic communications. The court argues that encryption helps protect citizens and companies from hacking, identity theft, and fraud. This ruling may impact the EU's proposed chat control bill, which aims to monitor encrypted communications for indications of illegal content. The ruling suggests that there are alternative solutions for monitoring encrypted communications without weakening the protection of all users.

Main themes

• end-to-end encryption
• EU chat control bill
• security vs. surveillance
• emergency exceptions
• app store security
• Signal and WhatsApp security
• F-Droid and alternative app stores
• MITM concerns and safety numbers

What commenters say

• Some argue that there should be exceptions for emergency purposes, such as imminent danger or national security threats.
• Others believe that any exception would be exploited by authorities and undermine the security of all users.
• The concept of end-to-end encryption is seen as flawed by some, as it relies on trusting the provider of the client software.
• The use of app stores like Google Play can compromise the security of end-to-end encrypted communications.
• Some commenters are skeptical of Signal's security due to its availability on the Play Store and its lack of presence on F-Droid.
• Others argue that F-Droid is not more secure than the Play Store and may have its own set of problems.
• The safety number feature in Signal is seen as a way to address the MITM concern, but its effectiveness is debated.
• The ruling is seen as a positive development by some, as it creates a roadblock against anti-end-to-end encryption proposals.