European States Escalate Push for Encryption Backdoors
Governments across Europe are ramping up efforts to mandate encryption backdoors, sparking concerns over privacy, security, and digital sovereignty. From France and Sweden to the UK and the European Commission, policymakers are advancing legislative measures that would compromise the privacy and security of European citizens under the pretext of crime prevention.
France’s “Narcotrafic” Law: A Direct Attack on Encryption
A controversial amendment to France’s "Narcotrafic" law seeks to force encrypted communication services to provide law enforcement access within 72 hours. If passed:
Companies failing to comply would face fines of 2% of global turnover.
Individuals could be fined up to €1.5 million.
The bill has passed the Senate and is now awaiting approval in the National Assembly.
Critics argue that these backdoors would weaken encryption, making it easier for cybercriminals and hostile foreign actors to exploit security loopholes. Matthias Pfau, CEO of Tuta Mail, stated:
"Weakening encryption for law enforcement inevitably creates vulnerabilities that can – and will – be exploited. This law would not just target criminals, it would destroy security for everyone."
In a parallel move, French copyright holders are pursuing legal action against VPN providers, pressuring them to participate in pirate site blocking. Some VPN companies are considering exiting the French market due to this legal crackdown.
Sweden’s Push for Mandatory Encryption Backdoors
The Swedish government is advocating for laws that would force end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messaging services, such as Signal, to implement government-accessible backdoors by March 2026.
Signal has strongly opposed the proposal, with CEO Meredith Whittaker stating:
"If you create a vulnerability based on Swedish wishes, it would create a way to undermine our entire network. Therefore, we would never introduce these backdoors."
If Sweden moves forward with this legislation, Signal has threatened to exit the country entirely, echoing Apple’s recent decision in the UK.
UK’s Encryption Battle with Apple
The UK government recently demanded that Apple create a backdoor for law enforcement to access users' encrypted iCloud data. Rather than comply, Apple withdrew its most secure cloud storage service from Britain.
The backlash from privacy advocates and government officials has been significant. US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard warned:
"Requiring Apple or any company to create a backdoor would be a clear and egregious violation of privacy and civil liberties. It would open up a serious vulnerability for cyber exploitation by adversarial actors."
The UK had already passed the Online Safety Bill (2023), which included encryption-breaking provisions. However, these measures can only be enforced if they are deemed "technically feasible", which Apple and other major tech firms argue they are not.
The EU’s Ongoing Push for Mass Surveillance
Despite widespread opposition, the European Union continues to explore ways to implement "chat control", a mass surveillance initiative backed by well-funded NGOs and surveillance advocacy groups.
The latest attempt, led by Poland’s Council Presidency, proposes making chat control voluntary instead of mandatory. However, 16 out of 27 EU states, led by Spain, have rejected even this compromise.
Privacy advocate Patrick Breyer criticized the extreme stance of many EU governments, stating:
"The proposal is likely to go too far already for the hardliner majority of EU governments and the EU Commission, whose positions are so extreme that they would rather let down victims altogether than accept a proportionate, court-proof approach."
The EU has not yet reached an agreement on chat control, but negotiations will resume this month.
