Chat control, as it is called, arouses strong feelings and concerns about a mass surveillance society. But the hearing on Thursday was not about the bill itself, but about how it came about, when Ylva Johansson was grilled by the committee for civil liberties and rights.
– Commercial interests should never guide decision-making, especially when it comes to such sensitive legislation. We still haven’t received any clear answers to the accusations of heavy lobbying, says Saskia Bricmont, Belgian MEP from the Green Group.
“Completely normal”
But Ylva Johansson believes that it is completely normal to gather opinions from various stakeholders when drafting legislation.
– We have received many answers; from companies, private individuals, interest organisations, authorities and research institutes. We have received a lot of support but also a lot of criticism, she replies.
Accusations of having allowed themselves to be influenced come from a journalistic review, which was published in, among others, the French Le Monde. It has been mapped which contacts Ylva Johansson and her employees had during the time when the bill was drafted.
“It’s about protecting children”
Among the contacts is the American company Thorn, which sells the type of AI scanning that the European Commission wants to be used on a broad front.
There is no evidence of any wrongdoing, but it is suggested in the articles that the Commission was influenced by commercial interests.
Criticism that Ylva Johansson rejects. She believes that no particular technical supplier is favored in her bill and that the important thing is the result:
– It is important to remember what this is about. To protect children from sexual violence. And the question is whether the proposal is effective. My answer is yes.