Austria Approves Law Letting Authorities Monitor Encrypted Messages

(MENAFN) Austria's lower parliamentary chamber approved a legislation on Wednesday that permits law enforcement and intelligence agencies to oversee the digital correspondence of individuals deemed high-risk who use encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal.

The legislation was endorsed by 105 parliamentarians, while 71 opposed the bill.

Within the ruling alliance comprising the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS party, two NEOS representatives chose to abstain from voting.

According to the law, Austria’s domestic intelligence agencies will gain authorization to access the content of communications under specified circumstances in the future. This includes encrypted chats, for instance.

Generally, the authorization to monitor such messages may only be granted for a three-month duration, with the possibility of prolongation.

The monitoring is intended to be restricted to cases linked to terrorist threats and activities jeopardizing the constitutional order.

A major point of contention is the requirement to deploy spyware for accessing encrypted messages.

Opponents in the parliament argue that the law carries a significant risk of misuse and highlights potential vulnerabilities in security.

After the vote, Gernot Darmann, the spokesperson on security matters for the main opposition party, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), addressed the press, criticizing the “surveillance fantasies of the Ministry of the Interior” and condemning the “unconstitutional use of citizen surveillance software.”

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