"Weakening encryption would make European security worse" – the VPN industry reacts to the EU's plan for end-to-end encryption backdoors

Hand with mobile phone and VPN application with the EU flag on a laptop's screen on the background.

No one sends SMS anymore; instead, most use WhatsApp or Signal. Encrypted calls, securely sharing files, and pictures are day-to-day actions we all do, with the promise that our online communications will stay private between us and who we are talking to.

This could soon change for people in the EU, though. ProtectEU is the EU Commission's new collaborative strategy exactly tasked to create a roadmap for "lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement" – especially encrypted data.