Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

reclaimthenet.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

311–320 of 449 posts

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#311

Post by sph »

stackedinserter wrote: post #199
casenmgreen wrote: post #141

Seems to me this is a kind of advanced persistent threat. You defeat them one day, but they're still there, and they keep trying, day after day after day.

This is "Red Queen" concept, constant battle between society and state (Leviathan). State always drives towards despotism and total control, society always drives to anarchy, and when there's balance, then you have Switzerland, otherwise slide towards Somali or Russia. https://news.mit.edu/2019/narrow-corridor-acemoglu-liberty-0...

Hard to maintain a balance when the State, by definition, has monopoly over violence, and State interests have the propaganda machine of mass-media on their side; the media with their pathetic justification that "we're only reporting the news!" just repeat and perpetuate bullshit rhetoric.

The real problem is that the State tends to grow like a cancer. When it gets to a point that it lords over tens or hundreds of millions of souls, it's already impossible to control and contain.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#312

Post by nunobrito »

exasperaited wrote: post #60
cbeach wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK we've had an authoritarian Conservative government for 14 years, followed by an even more authoritarian Labour government, which we'll have until 2029. In 2029 it's likely we'll have a more libertarian government: https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/... Reform will repeal some of the awful legislation that's been passed over the last few years (e.g. Online Safety Act). They've been l…

> In 2029 it's likely we'll have a more libertarian government Haha you're so funny. If Reform get from, what is it right now, five -- or four, or six, depending on how the wind blows — MPs to 326 MPs, which is enough to secure the majority they think they are getting, then libertarian is not what that government will be. It will be populist, white and significantly authoritarian, because pure tabloid authoritarian t…

[flagged]

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#313

Post by cbeach »

graemep wrote: post #124
cbeach wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Net migration is only falling because of record high numbers of British and European people emigrating, against a backdrop of huge (800K+) levels of gross immigration.

Firstly, why do you lump British and European together? Because they are the same "race" in your eyes? Non-EU net migration has fallen sharply too. It proves what was always obvious to anyone who looked at it, that high net immigration was temporary, especially the peak post covid and the special scheme for Ukrainians.

Levels of EU vs non-EU immigration has been a particular subject of interest for the UK before and after Brexit.

And note also that the UK and EU share high-quality education systems, Western Judeo-Christian culture and Western-aligned geopolitics.

Recent waves of immigration from countries in the Middle East and North Africa are importing wholly different culture, geopolitics, and crucially, we are importing from countries with measurably lower standard of literacy and numeracy.

These are objective facts, and they are not criticisms or judgements on the character of those who are migrating.

I would make exactly the same choices as our Pakistani, Somali and Eritrean friends, if I were in their position.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#314

Post by okokwhatever »

stackedinserter wrote: post #238
pfdietz wrote: post #187

Europe is no longer a place that should be considered ideologically compatible with the United States. At best neutral. The US should abandon NATO and downgrade relations with the continent.

There's no one solid "Europe", there is a bunch of countries that are farther from each other than states in US. E.g. what do Spain and Poland have in common?

Obviously you dont know anything about Europe. In the 90's there was a huge migration of Polish people and you know where they migrated mostly? Spain (and Italy). And you know what?, most of my friends during that moment were from Poland (incredible good and educated people to be honest)

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#315

Post by pixelpoet »

ax0ar wrote: post #167
aniviacat wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you perhaps a UK citizen? I, a German, can use GPT-5.1 without providing biometric information.

Are you able to access the API models without verifying your organization? See if you can access all models here. https://platform.openai.com/chat/edit Web/app interface and API access are two different access layers for the model. Everyone can use the web or app interface for accessing all models, but API access is restricted unless you provide biometric information.

Not very subtle moving of the goalposts there.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#316

Post by cbeach »

ben_w wrote: post #272
bluescrn wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yelling 'racist' at Farage for over a decade hasn't got rid of him. Maybe 4 more years of doing the same thing will do the job? Can't see the Tories bouncing back in a few mere years. Labour are heading rapidly into the same unelectable territory. Which leaves us with Reform vs a Green-LibDem coalition? But the Greens have chosen to embrace their own form of populist lunacy. And some will never forgive the Lib Dems f…

> But the Greens have chosen to embrace their own form of populist lunacy. Well, populist lunacy is how Reform got so popular, so I can see why it would be tempting for the Green party. Main thing that's weird right now with the UK is that because it's first-past-the-post and the current polling is Reform:~29%, Lib/Lab/Con/Green:~16%, I would not be surprised by any of these parties forming a minority government nor…

Out of curiosity, which of Reform's policies are "lunacy"?

Removing the 2 child benefit cap? Increasing NHS spending? Returning to New Labour levels of net immigration, being a country with borders?

> That said I will find it very very funny if the Conservative party ends up last from that list.

At least we agree on that. The Tories deserve to be confined to the dustbin of history.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#317

Post by cbeach »

citrin_ru wrote: post #172
cbeach wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> libertarian is not what that government will be How can you be so sure? Why do you assume that everything that the Reform chairman, Zia Yusuf (head of policy) is lies? What, from his history, suggests that he is a liar? > catastrophic issues already affecting Reform councils like Kent. A small number of councillors left, but KCC is still a strong Reform majority. Councillors come and go throughout the year (just lo…

> But I've never understood why popular polices get such a bad rep in a supposed democracy? Because they are extremely short shortsighted and a wreck in a long term.

The classic populist political policy was the creation of the NHS in 1948.

Would you say that was "extremely short shortsighted and a wreck in a long term."?

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#318

Post by rsolva »

epolanski wrote: post #29
permo-w wrote: post #11

why are specifically the Danish so obsessed with pushing this through? it always seems to come back to them

Lobbying. EU delegates and council members have to report their meetings with lobbyists. Palantir and Thorn lobbyists (just the most famous ones, but you can add another few dozens security and data companies) are recorded meeting many times with countless of them, including Ursula von der Leyen. It's really as simple as that, sales pitches convincing them of all the benefits of having more intelligence "to catch cri…

After reflecting on this a bit earlier this year, I came to the same conclusion; Palantir and maybe other like minded lobbying clueless politicians. It is a considerable weakness in the way laws are formed and voted on.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#319

Post by gpderetta »

hn_throw2025 wrote: post #134
surgical_fire wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Identical in every respect other than those with the power to initiate legislation are completely immune to voter displeasure. You are aware that those with power to initiate legislation are appointed by national governments right? If you are unhappy with how your country posed itself in those propositions, you can and should vote for parties that have different stances.

Your link to the Commission and Council is homeopathic democracy, right? In the UK with a Parliamentary democracy, unpopular policy ideas can be abandoned. Manifestos are not always adhered to, but they typically include ideas that their canvassers can sell on the doorstep and there is robust media criticism when they abandon their promises. We have a strong history of U turns because our politicians are wary of unpo…

Interesting you say that, after the UK already passed the equivalent of Chat Control with cross party support, without the law being part of the mandate of either party.

Re: EU Council Approves New "Chat Control" Mandate Pushing Mass Surveillance

#320

Post by vixen99 »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #114
piker wrote: post #6

Even living nearby in the UK it blows my mind how quickly the EU proposes, kills and then revives and passes controversial legislation in such a short timeframe.

The UK keeps a register of non-crime hate incidents and invests its scarce police resources into harassing, arresting and punishing people for twitter posts.

And also: silently praying in public near an abortion center. The lady in question should have asked the policeman (as he was) "How would you define praying?". At least he'd maybe have paused for an interesting short discussion on semantics and more before for arresting her - as he did. https://youtu.be/wXURFRSUS9U

Two years ago and she has received damages however similar attitudes still abound with marked police disapproval of attempts to display the English National flag - in England.

Post reply on HN