Justice Minister: "Chat control is taboo in a constitutional state"

Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has publicly rejected the European Union's proposed mass surveillance measures. Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Hubig stated, "Unprovoked chat monitoring must be taboo in a constitutional state. Private communication must never be under general suspicion." She further emphasized that the state should not compel messaging services to scan communications for illicit content before transmission.

Hubig affirmed that Germany will not support such proposals at the EU level. "We must make progress in combating child pornography at the EU level, and I am committed to that. However, even the most severe crimes do not justify sacrificing fundamental civil rights," she said, noting she has consistently advocated this position within the federal government.

Despite these clear statements, the German federal government has not yet finalized its position, with an Interior Ministry spokesperson indicating a lack of internal consensus. Germany has, to date, strictly opposed the EU's plans, making a postponement of the upcoming EU Council vote increasingly likely.

The EU Commission has pushed back against criticism, asserting that "no general monitoring" of online communications is planned. The contentious proposal, debated since 2022, involves using applications on user devices to scan images, videos, and URLs for child abuse material before they are encrypted. Text messages are excluded from this scanning.

Critics argue that this constitutes mass surveillance and a violation of fundamental rights. Operators of encrypted messaging platforms have also voiced strong opposition, viewing the plan as a threat to secure communication.