European Parliament wants to promote export encryption techniques

The European Parliament’s Trade Committee has removed encryption techniques from its list of cyber surveillance products. The committee approved a plan to restrict the export of those products, but encryption is exempt.

The European Parliament’s Trade Committee voted to remove encryption technology from the list of cyber-surveillance products because it sees these techniques as crucial to protecting civil rights defenders. D66 MEP Marietje Schaake is happy with the exception: “We should not oppose the export of encryption programs, but rather encourage it. In time, the European Parliament wants to completely abolish the control of encryption. That is no longer of this time.”

The exception was part of the committee’s vote on a review of European export control legislation. That revision was passed by 34 votes in favour, one against and two abstentions. It was assumed that spy tools will become part of government export controls. This concerns products and services that can be used to intercept communications, circumvent passwords, infiltrate computers and identify Internet users.

When the legislation comes into effect, national governments must authorize companies that want to export such products to countries that oppress the population and tolerate no opposition. The EU has been working to curb such exports for some time. Currently, other ‘dual-use items’ are already covered by the export control regime, which are goods that can be used for peaceful purposes but also for mass destruction or terrorism.