European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication

While I disagree with invoking child protection as a form of political blackmail, child protection is a legitimate concern. Several populations, of which children are one, are considered vulnerable to exploitation and legislation to reduce exploitation is legitimate.

The problem lies with the fragility of our political system. It is so fragile that debating the effectiveness of the legislation can be shut down with a handful of emotionally charged words. It is so fragile that seeking alternatives which don't impact fundamental rights is overlooked in the interests of expediency.

Of course, creating such rules of thumb is a symptom of the same disease. It is a tool to discourage debate rather than encourage it.

People should judge things like this based on the content and context of the legislation, not based on a 3 word summary of its justification. There’s your rule of thumb

ECR: Aguilar, Berg, Berlato, Bielan, Bourgeois, Brudziński, Buxadé Villalba, Czarnecki, de la Pisa Carrión, Dzhambazki, Fidanza, Fiocchi, Fitto, Fotyga, Fragkos, Ilčić, Jaki, Jurgiel, Jurzyca, Kanko, Karski, Kempa, Kloc, Kopcińska, Krasnodębski, Kruk, Kuźmiuk, Legutko, Lundgren, Mazurek, Melbārde, Milazzo, Możdżanowska, Poręba, Procaccini, Rafalska, Ruissen, Rzońca, Saryusz-Wolski, Slabakov, Sofo, Stancanelli, Stegrud, Szydło, Tarczyński, Tertsch, Tobiszowski, Tomaševski, Tošenovský, Van Overtveldt, Vondra, Vrecionová, Waszczykowski, Weimers, Wiśniewska, Zahradil, Zalewska, Zīle, Złotowski

ID: Adinolfi Matteo, Androuët, Annemans, Baldassarre, Bardella, Basso, Bay, Beigneux, Bilde, Bizzotto, Bonfrisco, Borchia, Bruna, Campomenosi, Casanova, Ceccardi, Ciocca, Collard, Conte, Da Re, David, De Man, Dreosto, Gancia, Garraud, Grant, Griset, Hakkarainen, Huhtasaari, Jamet, Joron, Juvin, Kofod, Lacapelle, Lancini, Laporte, Lebreton, Lechanteux, Lizzi, Madison, Mariani, Mélin, Olivier, Panza, Pirbakas, Rinaldi, Rivière, Rougé, Sardone, Tardino, Tovaglieri, Vandendriessche, Zambelli, Zanni

NI: Beghin, Bocskor, Castaldo, Deli, Deutsch, Ferrara, Furore, Gál, Gemma, Giarrusso, Gyöngyösi, Győri, Gyürk, Hidvéghi, Járóka, Kolakušić, Kósa, Lagos, Pignedoli, Regimenti, Rondinelli, Schaller-Baross, Tóth, Trócsányi, Uspaskich, Vuolo

PPE: Adamowicz, Ademov, Adinolfi Isabella, Alexandrov Yordanov, Amaro, Arias Echeverría, Arimont, Arłukowicz, Asimakopoulou, Băsescu, Bellamy, Benjumea Benjumea, Bentele, Berendsen, Berger, Berlusconi, Bernhuber, Bilčík, Blaga, Bogdan, Bogovič, Buda, Buşoi, Caroppo, Carvalho, Casa, Caspary, del Castillo Vera, Christoforou, Clune, Colin-Oesterlé, van Dalen, Danjean, De Meo, Didier, Doleschal, Dorfmann, Duda, Düpont, Ehler, Estaràs Ferragut, Evren, Falcă, Ferber, Fernandes, Fitzgerald, Fourlas, Frankowski, Gahler, García-Margallo y Marfil, Geuking, Gieseke, Glavak, González Pons, Halicki, Hansen, Hava, Herbst, Hetman, Hohlmeier, Hölvényi, Hortefeux, Hübner, Jahr, Jarubas, Juknevičienė, Kalinowski, Kalniete, Kanev, Karas, Kefalogiannis, Kelly, Kopacz, Kovatchev, Kubilius, Kympouropoulos, Kyrtsos, de Lange, Lega, Lenaers, Lewandowski, Lexmann, Liese, Lins, López Gil, López-Istúriz White, Łukacijewska, Lutgen, McAllister, Maldeikienė, Manders, Mandl, Marinescu, Markey, Martusciello, Mato, Maydell, Mažylis, Meimarakis, Melo, Metsola, Millán Mon, Monteiro de Aguiar, Montserrat, Morano, Mortler, Motreanu, Mureşan, Niebler, Niedermayer, Nistor, Novak, Novakov, Ochojska, Olbrycht, Patriciello, Pereira Lídia, Pieper, Pietikäinen, Polčák, Polfjärd, Pollák, Pospíšil, Radev, Radtke, Rangel, Ressler, Sagartz, Salini, Sander, Sarvamaa, Schmiedtbauer, Schneider, Schreijer-Pierik, Schulze, Schwab, Seekatz, Sikorski, Simon, Skyttedal, Šojdrová, Sokol, Spyraki, Štefanec, Tajani, Terras, Thaler, Thun und Hohenstein, Tobé, Tomac, Tomc, Vaidere, Vandenkendelaere, Verheyen, Vincze, Virkkunen, Voss, Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Walsh, Walsmann, Warborn, Weber, Weiss, Wieland, Wiezik, Winkler, Winzig, Wiseler-Lima, Zagorakis, Zarzalejos, Zdechovský, Zoido Álvarez, Zovko, Zver

Renew: Alieva-Veli, Al-Sahlani, Andrews, Ansip, Auštrevičius, Azmani, Bauzá Díaz, Bijoux, Bilbao Barandica, Botoş, Boyer, Brunet, Cañas, Canfin, Chabaud, Charanzová, Chastel, Christensen, Cicurel, Cioloş, Cseh, Danti, Decerle, Dlabajová, Donáth, Durand, Ďuriš Nicholsonová, Farreng, Flego, Gade, Garicano, Gheorghe, Goerens, Gozi, Groothuis, Grošelj, Grudler, Guetta, Hayer, Hlaváček, Hojsík, Huitema, Ijabs, in 't Veld, Karleskind, Karlsbro, Katainen, Kelleher, Keller Fabienne, Knotek, Kovařík, Kyuchyuk, Loiseau, Løkkegaard, Mihaylova, Mituța, Müller, Nagtegaal, Nart, Paet, Pagazaurtundúa, Pekkarinen, Petersen, Pîslaru, Rafaela, Ries, Riquet, Rodríguez Ramos, Schreinemacher, Séjourné, Semedo, Šimečka, Solís Pérez, Ştefănuță, Strugariu, Søgaard-Lidell, Tolleret, Toom, Torvalds, Trillet-Lenoir, Tudorache, Vautmans, Vedrenne, Verhofstadt, Vázquez Lázara, Wiesner, Yon-Courtin, Zacharopoulou, Zullo

S&D: Agius Saliba, Aguilera, Ameriks, Andrieu, Androulakis, Angel, Ara-Kovács, Arena, Avram, Balt, Bartolo, Belka, Benea, Benifei, Beňová, Bergkvist, Biedroń, Blinkevičiūtė, Bonafè, Borzan, Brglez, Bullmann, Calenda, Carvalhais, Cerdas, Chinnici, Cimoszewicz, Ciuhodaru, Číž, Cozzolino, Crețu, Cutajar, Danielsson, De Castro, Dobrev, Durá Ferrandis, Engerer, Ertug, Fajon, Fernández, Fritzon, Fuglsang, Gálvez Muñoz, García Del Blanco, García Muñoz, García Pérez, Gardiazabal Rubial, Gebhardt, Geier, Glucksmann, González, González Casares, Grapini, Gualmini, Guillaume, Guteland, Hajšel, Heide, Heinäluoma, Homs Ginel, Hristov, Incir, Jerković, Kaili, Kaljurand, Kohut, Köster, Krehl, Kumpula-Natri, Lalucq, Lange, Larrouturou, Leitão-Marques, López, López Aguilar, Luena, Maestre Martín De Almagro, Majorino, Maldonado López, Marques Margarida, Marques Pedro, Matić, Mavrides, Maxová, Mebarek, Mikser, Miller, Molnár, Moreno Sánchez, Moretti, Negrescu, Neuser, Nica, Olekas, Papadakis Demetris, Penkova, Picierno, Picula, Pisapia, Pizarro, Plumb, Regner, Roberti, Rodríguez-Piñero, Rónai, Ros Sempere, Ruiz Devesa, Sánchez Amor, Sant, Santos, Schaldemose, Schieder, Schuster, Sidl, Silva Pereira, Sippel, Smeriglio, Stanishev, Tarabella, Tinagli, Toia, Tudose, Ujhelyi, Ušakovs, Van Brempt, Vind, Vitanov, Vollath, Yoncheva, Zorrinho

The Left: Maurel

Genuine question because I never understand what people mean when they use that phrase: how is a right fundamental? Does the cold universe assign them to us or do a set of people agree such-and-such are fundamental. If the latter, were the same rights fundamental 20,000 years ago? (Because if they are fundamental, they should stretch back to early man… earlier than even 20,000 years ago)

If it's going to implement a draconian surveillance state that will converge towards corrupted abuse by its officials and member states, then why not live in any number of totalitarian like countries elsewhere with cheap out of living and a nice beach instead? There is no functional difference anyways.