Dutch police are concerned about the rollout of encryption. "The debate around privacy is completely polarized. You don't have to become a police state right away," said Henk Geveke, a member of the police force leadership.
Criminals who previously used encrypted services such as EncroChat and SkyECC are now using regular chat services. Last week, European police chiefs called on governments and tech companies to take action against the rollout of end-to-end encryption. According to them, this form of encryption hinders police investigations. "The companies shield privacy as a fundamental right. But there are also victims with rights," Geveke argues.
"Companies claim they can't view all communications themselves. But that's not true. They often shield the privacy aspect. That is also a great thing, but victims also have rights. And you don't hear anyone about that," Geveke explains. "If it is really necessary, we can always hack but that is not a proportional instrument. We prefer to make good agreements with the companies." Consequently, he advocates the possibility of accessing the content of encrypted traffic: "We want to do this surrounded by safeguards and permission from the examining magistrate."
