Encryption in the Age of Surveillance
Time: 14:30 CET
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Many don’t know what encryption is, or what it does, yet most of us rely on it in our daily lives.
Encryption, described as the ‘last bastion of digital privacy’, enables confidential communication, sustains our capacity to work, organise, socialise, love and care for each other safely. For some, including human rights defenders, over-criminalised groups and journalists, encryption and digital safety is vital.
The European Union stands at a crossroad, dangerously leaning towards putting the safety of everyone at risk. Pegasus and other spyware scandals have awaken consciences, highlighting the fatal consequences that unchecked surveillance can have on people’s lives. Yet the EU is ready to pass a legislation (the “Child Sexual Abuse Material Regulation”) that would de facto install a form of distributed spyware on every single device.
How do threats to encryption evolve over time? What narratives drive these demands for suspicionless, warrantless monitoring? What does it mean to be deprived of secure digital tools in an age of mass surveillance? What opportunities are there for collective resistance?
At the event, we will hear from journalists, human rights defenders and privacy experts, whose lived experiences have shown the decisive and protective role of encryption in allowing them to work, socialise, organise, express themselves, and care for others safely, without the fear of being put under arbitrary suspicion.
Join us to discuss together what encryption means for people and democracy and how current European legislation will impact the security of our communications.
Key speakers include:
- Iverna McGowan, Director of the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Europe Office (Moderator)
- Meredith Whittaker, President of the Signal Foundation
- Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe
- Carmela Troncoso, Assistant Professor at EPFL and expert in security and privacy