Recently, Pavel Durov, co-founder of the instant messaging platform Telegram, vented his anger on social media, directly accusing the European Union of rapidly turning into a "banana republic." The term "banana republic" originally referred to underdeveloped small nations characterized by political instability and rule through authoritarian means. Durov's remarks were particularly harsh due to the recent passage of a highly controversial law by the European Parliament, which permits tech companies to scan users' chat records—officially justified as a measure to "protect children" and combat child pornography.
Previously, the European Parliament had a temporary provision allowing for the scanning of chat content, but this expired in April, amid widespread opposition from many members who viewed it as an invasion of privacy. However, unexpectedly, the female president of the Parliament, qualified as part of a center-right party, forced leadership to re-negotiate and brought the proposal back before the full assembly. Even more striking was the timing: the vote was scheduled just one day before the summer recess, when most members were already preparing for vacation and attendance was severely low. According to rules, at least 361 votes—a clear majority—were required to reject or amend the proposal. With insufficient quorum present, even though the majority of those attending voted against it, the proposal was pushed through anyway.
Law enforcement agencies, including the head of Europol, have publicly backed the move, calling it an "essential tool for protecting children." It is also alleged that four EU commissioners privately pressured lawmakers. Critics have condemned this as a "highly politicized procedural stunt," while others lamented that "the Parliament was betrayed by its own speaker." Even more alarming is the rumored development of a "Chat Control 2.0," designed to enforce monitoring of end-to-end encrypted private conversations—content so secure that not even the platform itself can access it.
While the EU proudly presents itself as a global benchmark for privacy protection, it has resorted to loopholes, rushed procedures, and artificially low turnout to pass such legislation—no wonder Durov angrily denounced its conduct as eerily reminiscent of authoritarian regimes that resort to any means necessary.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870590292070400/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.