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Big tech companies need to work more closely with law enforcement on encryption, or else, according to Europol chief as he prepares to renew pressure on companies at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. It is said that there is a danger of threatening democracy in Europe.
Catherine de Boer told the Financial Times that she plans to meet with a group of major technology companies at a Swiss mountain resort to discuss the issue, adding that companies will be required to use the encryption used by criminals to remain anonymous. It argued there was a “social responsibility” to give police access to the messages.
“Anonymity is not a fundamental right,” the head of the EU law enforcement agency said. “If we have a search warrant and we’re in front of the house and the door is locked and we know the perpetrator is inside, the residents won’t accept that they can’t enter.”
In a digital environment, police need to be able to decipher these messages to fight crime, she added. “You can’t force democracy (without democracy).”
There has long been tension between tech companies and law enforcement over the use of end-to-end encryption on messaging platforms, making it difficult for police to obtain evidence in investigations.
Last April, European police chiefs called on governments and industry to take urgent steps to prevent encryption from undermining criminal investigations.
Tech companies such as Apple, Meta’s WhatsApp, and privacy-focused messaging app Signal have consistently fought off legal efforts to undermine encryption, arguing that it threatens user privacy and security. Apple has stepped up efforts in recent years to work with law enforcement to combat online child abuse and other crimes. But such moves have largely been abandoned due to fierce opposition from privacy activists.
Some EU member states, including Germany, are also skeptical about giving law enforcement greater access to private messages, leaving laws to combat child sexual abuse in limbo. are.
De Boll, a Belgian who took charge of Europol in 2018 and is in his first year in office, also said he wanted to expand the use of artificial intelligence in the agency’s investigations and focus on “hybrid threats.” , and recent allegations against Russia for cutting undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
De Boer said that currently Europol can only monitor criminal organizations and must resign if there is criminal activity at national level, adding that any changes would require new EU legislation. Ta.
Under De Boer, Europol, which uses vast amounts of data to help countries fight serious organized crime in areas such as terrorism, drug trafficking and fraud, has grown to around 1,700 people. Expanded.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last year that she wanted to further increase Europol’s staff and strengthen its mission to “become a truly functioning police agency.”
In addition to its work for EU member states, a number of other countries have desks within the agency, including the UK and the US.
De Boer said he doesn’t expect any major changes to the US system after Donald Trump takes office this month, given his tenure so far. In the United States, Europol employs about 30 employees from various agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
She said she has not yet met with the incoming Trump administration.
Europol proved its worth last year by stopping LockBit, a prolific ransomware group that involved the FBI and the US Department of Justice.
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The agency has also played a major role in the fight against drug trafficking in Europe, helping crack the EncroChat and Sky ECC messaging services used by criminals. Access to their messages led to numerous criminal cases and thousands of arrests.
Last year, more than 100 people were convicted based on Sky ECC decryption evidence in the largest criminal trial in Belgian history. De Boll said there will continue to be more incidents related to decryption of messaging services.
De Boll said Europol will publish its quadrennial assessment of serious organized crime facing the EU in March, which will also include information on foreign interference. .
Additional reporting from Tim Bradshaw
