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  1. Dry_Row_7050 on

    This is hardly the only privacy wrecking proposal going down in the EU.

    [From their new plans](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/1105a0ef-535c-44a7-a6d4-a8478fce1d29_en?filename=Recommendations%20of%20the%20HLG%20on%20Access%20to%20Data%20for%20Effective%20Law%20Enforcement_en.pdf) that the EU [recently endorsed](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0349):

    >they want to sanction messaging apps, hosting services and websites that don’t log user traffic (and impose criminal penalties on privacy friendly services)

    >mandatory data retention, all your online activity must be tied to your identity

    >end of privacy friendly VPN’s and other services

    >cooperate with hardware manufacturers to ensure lawful access by design (backdoors for phones and computers)

    >[and more](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-presents-roadmap-effective-and-lawful-access-data-law-enforcement-2025-06-24_en)

    The data retention law is the first step, [and a law proposal is already coming](https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/the-eu-prepares-ground-for-wider-data-retention-and-vpn-providers-are-among-the-targets)

    Ironically when a German MEP Mr. Breyer asked the EU to release the names of the people who wrote this proposal, [that the EU recently endorsed](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0349) and used in [their ”protectEU” strategy,](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0148) the EU replied [with a list with all names blacked out](https://media.frag-den-staat.de/files/foi/848493/document17-participantlistfirstplenary.pdf). Here is [Patrick Breyer’s own blog post on the subject](https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/going-dark-expert-group-eus-surveillance-forge)

    **Why do they want this data though?**

    The Europol chief said that in a digital environment, the police needed to be able to decode these messages to fight crime. [“You will not be able to enforce democracy without it,”](https://www.belganewsagency.eu/europol-chief-calls-on-tech-giants-to-unlock-encrypted-messages) she added.

    I didn’t mention chat control because it has gotten a lot of attention.

  2. daverskully on

    So basically, Ireland wants Facebook to Feel like opening a bank account now.

  3. negjo141 on

    Ireland wants to turn anonymous internet arguments into officially registered internet Arguments.

  4. SicMundusCreatustEst on

    I support this, because maybe people (myself included) would stop using “social” medias, that cause mental health problems.

  5. Purple-Bread7293 on

    Good. All for it. The negatives that social media have brought us have far outweighed the positives for a while now.

  6. MeatMechAstronaut on

    I fully agree. Social media is no longer social anyway, its just one big propaganda and social manipulation service for the highest bidder. It all started so innocently, just a way to hang out and connect with friends, relatives etc. And now? Russian troll farms, Chinese troll farms destabilising governments, influencing entire elections, trying to derail democracy. The push for mandatory ID verification on social media couldn’t come soon enough.

  7. arrizaba on

    They should look for another solution that does not jeopardize privacy. I understand the need to regulate social media for kids, but throwing privacy under the bus is not the way to do it.

  8. BabyDog88336 on

    Social media is such of pile of hot garbage I don’t even care what they do with it.

    Besides it’s not like the government doesn’t already have pretty much everyone’s information from other means.

  9. Otherwise_Fined on

    Time to invest in fake IDs, they’re gonna do gangbusters.

  10. Mr-TotalAwesome on

    If this rolls out in the eu, i think im just done with social media. I like to stay informed and sometimes entertained with it, but if this requires and id, im done. It’s not like it adds that much value to my life anyway. Ill get my news some other way.

  11. Saarbarbarbar on

    Only way to counter Russian and US destabilization efforts.

  12. East-Profit-3754 on

    EU is following China. Great firewall, ID verification, chat control, VPN ban, arrests for online posts.

  13. PsipeTwist on

    So they can fine you or lock you when you say something that they don’t want to hear. 😊

  14. Darkone539 on

    The EU has always been about regulation, but the path they are taking here is insane. Privacy is going down the toilet.

  15. InfectedAztec on

    Twitter would turn into a digital desert overnight. Im all for that.

  16. Hohenstuken on

    Considering the number of politically motivated bots poisoning political sentiment across the world right now, isn’t this a good thing?

  17. silentspectator27 on

    It was expected. When Denmark introduced Chat Control 2.0, Ireland immediately went into internal discussions about a domestic Chat Control Law. Thankfully our right to privacy and communication are protected under Articles 7 and 8 of the EU charter. Cyprus is next up for Council Presidency after Denmark and Ireland after that, they will keep trying to push for total online control for our “security”.

  18. postusa2 on

    Im torn. On the one hand democracy needs free speech, on the other it isnt coping with social media.

  19. Ikkarus7 on

    I have a strong opinion on social media, mostly being negative so if the companies cannot police it then regulations by countries will need to.

    I think the internet is a wonderful thing but the amount of misinformation and hate that circulates on social media means drastic measures need to be enforced in my opinion.

  20. Alive-Opportunity-23 on

    This is a bit unexpected from ireland, at least for me. I would’ve thought they would not be one of the firsts.

  21. Miserable_Cress_1678 on

    Get off social media before your government forced you to

  22. Delicious-Radish812 on

    Good. Far too much racism and ignorance spouted by people with the cloak of anonymity.

  23. Mobile-Recognition17 on

    I used to be fully for net neutrality/anonymity since the dawn of internet. But new challenges have surfaced since then. Social media causes much more friction than anybody could’ve anticipated. We also have the visible rise of bots; the dead internet theory.

    This may be a necessary step towards more responsible online behavior, which could consequentially alleviate the feeling of a ‘mean world syndrome’.

    Regarding privacy, personally, I’m a person with integrity. If someone wants to track my online activity, they will only find the truth and I believe truth will prevail. And if the fascists win, it’s not a world I want to be a part of.

  24. frenzixquo on

    I’m not against a digital identity like a passport; people should be held accountable for their actions in all circumstances. Anonymity on the internet only benefits harassers, delinquents, terrorists, and other criminals. Right now it’s the Wild West; you get shot at left and right. 🙂

  25. anticafard on

    I don’t want those compagnies to keep my ID just like that. All of them are gonna be hack someday. They are not capable of keeping our data safe.

  26. square_plant_eater on

    It may the only way to prevent disinformation campaigns. My full support

  27. Aggressive_Peach_768 on

    Honestly I am OK with that.

    Considering how many Russian/Chinese funded troll accounts, post fake AI bullshit, to push the far right in Europe

  28. Smart_Highway_7011 on

    How do people think this will stop bot farms? The social media companies will only apply these controls to European accounts so those bot farms in foreign countries everyone is crying about in the thread will be completely unaffected it will just be EU citizens affected this isnt difficult to understand.

  29. Noldorian on

    It should always be the parents protecting their children. This is getting scary dystopian. Its about Control. Not about the kids.

  30. Legitimate-Celery796 on

    Social media is causing real damage to society, it needs to be seen for the serious threat they are to democracy and mental health.

    I welcome this and any other action that can curtail their influence.

  31. xNevamind on

    I don’t care at all. I know many people depend on social media but the benefits are to little anyway. to call it “social” is a joke. Just a time waster and propaganda tool.

  32. ConinTheNinoC on

    This is incredibly stupid while social media is controlled by the USA/China/Russia/India. What is being suggested could only work if we had a closed European social network where only European nationals could access it and the social network was hosted by the EU and local government and not by private corporations..

  33. It’s been happening all across the west this last year. This is no coincidence. Who is lobbying for this?

  34. svmk1987 on

    I’m devastated about the loss of true anonymity on the Internet, but I also cannot help but feel secretly happy about social media access being locked off for kids and social media as a whole dying off. Social media in it’s current form has done more harm than good. I just wish there was a better way to restrict kids access to it.

  35. This-Difficulty762 on

    I’m all for it, will give me a good reason to use it less or at all. Also, it might help stop the spread of disinformation from foreign accounts for those no aren’t switch on and can spot it. Especially now we now know the heritage foundations intentions.

  36. Big-Kahuna-Burger87 on

    JFC, ID verification is now a “police state” to some of these people. This sounds like the gun nuts in the United States that don’t want to provide ID when buying military grade weapons.

  37. Vistella on

    if implemented correctly this can be done while keeping anonymity

  38. kkapulic on

    Why not instead invest in, finance and promote our own european social media companies? Sites like reddit and twitter are not so complicated to make and we could strive to have a completely our own european social media ecosystem. Regulating, spying and annoying people will do nothing in the end and will be only conterproductive. Even in China and Russia people are easily evading their attempts to control the internet and implementing such controls here will only serve to breed resentment towards EU and Europe in general.

  39. yourfriendlyreminder on

    The EU never actually cared about privacy, only about control.

  40. I’m for keeping kids off social media but man there’s got to be other ways of doing this, I hardly trust my bank with my ID but now I got to hand it over to some shady half assed third party too? Fuck that.

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