Olga Cronin

The ‘ChatControl’ law would oblige service providers to either break end-to-end encryption or put surveillance technology directly on everyone’s phones and computers in a bid to detect known and possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and to examine texts and audio communications for possible grooming on their entire service, via detection orders.

The justice committee has written to justice minister Simon Harris, all Irish MEPs and the heads of the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council to warn that the “unprecedented” proposal is “extremely intrusive” and is “likely to inundate police with false positives”.

Olga Cronin, surveillance and human rights policy officer at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), said: “This is a welcome intervention from the justice committee.

“ICCL accepts the European Commission’s good intentions to tackle what is a heinous crime. Everyone agrees that effective measures must be taken to protect the rights of victims and survivors.

“But mandating the mass scanning of the messages and emails of almost 500 million people in the EU to combat a deeply complex social problem is disproportionate.”

Dr TJ McIntyre, chair of Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) and associate professor in UCD School of Law, added: “There is concern across Europe about this plan for unprecedented mass surveillance. For example, the German Bundestag’s Digital Affairs Committee has held a hearing showing that it presents significant threats to fundamental rights.

“The proposal must be withdrawn and rethought.”