CCIA Says French, German Proposal Could Undermine Encrypted Communications

High-ranking government officials from France and Germany are backing EU legislation that could jeopardize encrypted communications across Europe, said Christian Borggreen, Computer & Communications Industry Association director-international policy, in a blog post Friday. He said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and his French counterpart, Bruno Le Roux, sent a letter last week to European Commission officials seeking legislation in October after both countries' general elections. Borggreen said the letter, which is written in French, is a "u-turn" from the EU's prior "strong opposition" to back doors. He also cited a Politico story that reported an EC spokesperson seemed to endorse the proposal. Borggreen said it's unclear how service providers would give law enforcement access to encrypted data. It would "pose serious risks to the overall security and confidentiality of Europeans’ communications, which seems inconsistent with existing legal protections for personal data," he wrote. The EC's justice spokesman and French and German interior ministry offices didn't respond to emails seeking comment.