EU is planning a new mass surveillance law that includes mandating data retention, built-in backdoors, sanctioning non-compliant services and is asking you for feedback: Impact assessment on retention
Even as an American, this is terrifying. Everyone knows my country is shit, but I've always seen you guys as the gold standard and for this kind of thing to even be discussed over on your side of the pond is absolutely horrifying....
Lol I mean, nobody is perfect, but you guys have things like freedom of movement (even between countries) and France and Germany pushing open source software forward for the sake of privacy, security, flexability and community. Plus, you guys seem to have a mindset of "until it's proven safe, it will be illigal" compared to our "until it is proven UNsafe, it will be legal". Maybe "gold standard" isn't the best term, but I feel like you guys have better way of thinking about the world
I fear your glasses are tinted too rose. If you look at what they do instead of say, a different conclusion reveals itself.
Plus, you guys seem to have a mindset of "until it's proven safe, it will be illigal" compared to our "until it is proven UNsafe, it will be legal".
pushing open source software forward for the sake of privacy, security, flexability and community.
What happened instead was that bad governance made sure that there is little to no tech developed in the EU. We missed the 21st century tech boat.
Something they aim to "fix" the same way they always do: give money to professional grand receivers with the better political connections (example).
That failed, ofcourse, not in delivering grants, but in creating succesfull technology. So now they also try a new strategy: just fine foreign companies that they can't tax.
Still failing to address the original issues on why we aren't part of 21st century technology development. As addressing those issues would require them to look in the mirror.