cross-posted from: https://poliverso.org/objects/0477a01e-1864-ef7f-e7c4-93d087815857

European Media Freedom Act: the end of source confidentiality?

@politics

The new European regulation aims to protect the secrecy of journalistic sources, the key concept at the heart of journalism, but actually risks legitimising its systematic violation

By Dimitri Bettoni on #BalcaniCaucaso

#EMFA

The modification proposal presented last June by the European Council, a body that represents the interests of the member states, worsens the protections of article 4 and reinforces the legitimacy of state surveillance for reasons of national security which, reads the text, must remain a guaranteed prerogative of the member states and never be challenged by the EMFA. Furthermore, the Council proposes that the legitimate use of surveillance and in particular of spyware be extended to dozens of other crimes, including minor crimes such as copyright infringements.

Among the countries promoting this pejorative draft we find Germany and France - countries producing Spyware technology - but also Greece, a country where surveillance abuses against journalists have become a topic of national relevance.