‘Chat control’ 1.0.

In the past few days, we have – as I announced – met with the EU Council and the member states.

We met twice. Negotiated? Not once.

We, the parliamentary negotiators, were ready for a compromise: an extension of the current rules, but with clear safeguards. And above all – without the possibility of unlimited inspection of ALL people’s PRIVATE communications.

The EU Council did not budge a millimeter. The only thing they wanted to discuss was the length of the extension of the current rules. They did not want to disclose the content.

Speaking of content: currently, there is a so-called temporary legislative exception that allows technology companies to voluntarily scan private communications in search of child sexual abuse material. This is precisely the core of the problem: this allows for broad invasions of privacy and opens the door to indiscriminate surveillance of all communications. Of all and from all.

This exception is supposed to be temporary, because negotiations are underway at the same time on legislation that would regulate these matters in the long term. But this “temporary” was extended again and again. Two years, then for another two years, then for another two years…

I could not agree to this, and because of this, during the negotiations I once again heard the well-known insinuations: that we do not care about children. Today I am even reading statements that we are protecting sexual predators. And this from some colleagues from the largest political group. The one from which two parties in Slovenia come. You can guess which two, right?

Such manipulations are not new. But it is a new reality that we are also seeing at home these days: how quickly interference in communications can turn into a political weapon.

And the protection of children cannot and must not become an excuse for mass surveillance of everyone’s private communications.

So we have not reached an agreement. This means that these temporary rules will expire at the beginning of April. There is no new legislation yet and we do not know when it will be.

Journalists therefore asked me if all these “negotiations” were a waste of time. Not for me. My conscience is clear.

The fight against child abuse must be effective. But what the negotiators on the other side wanted is not the solution.

And that is precisely why the rules are important. And that is precisely why the electoral reminder is in place: if you cannot vote on Sunday, you can still vote early today and tomorrow.

Because democracy is also about going to the polls – before someone else starts deciding for us.