A leading privacy coalition has called on the Irish government to drop plans for a new surveillance law that would give law enforcement access to encrypted communications, warning it could undermine national security and drive businesses out of the country.
Key Takeaways:
The Global Encryption Coalition urged Ireland to drop a proposed law granting police access to encrypted messages. The bill would force messaging platforms to provide authorities access to encrypted data. The coalition warned that major tech firms could leave Ireland rather than weaken encryption.In an open letter published Thursday, Ryan Polk of the Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) urged Dublin to halt development of the Communications, Interception and Lawful Access Bill, proposed by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
Privacy Coalition Warns Ireland’s Encryption Bill Would Weaken Security
The coalition, which represents organizations advocating for secure digital privacy worldwide, said the legislation would effectively weaken encryption for all users, not just suspected criminals.
“Any country that undermines encryption risks threatening the privacy and security of people far beyond its borders,” Polk wrote.
“But Ireland, as host to the EU headquarters of major tech companies including Apple and Meta, bears particular responsibility.”
The bill, still in pre-draft form, is expected to move forward in the coming months. If passed, it would require messaging platforms to provide access to encrypted data for Irish authorities.
Polk argued such a move would make individuals and businesses more vulnerable to hacking, fraud, and espionage.
“Encryption is a critical security feature; any deliberate weakening or circumvention of it creates systemic vulnerabilities that would endanger everyone and put Ireland’s national security at risk,” he added.
Ireland’s thriving tech sector, which houses the European headquarters of major companies, could also be hit.
The GEC warned that firms offering end-to-end encrypted services may be forced to either compromise their users’ security or exit the Irish market entirely.
“In both cases, the result would be weaker security and reduced privacy for Irish citizens, businesses, and institutions,” Polk wrote.
Link to Controversial EU ‘Chat Control’ Law
The call comes amid growing resistance to similar proposals in the European Union. Earlier this week, Germany’s government opposed the controversial Chat Control bill, which seeks to allow message scanning before encryption, dealing it a serious setback.
The GEC has urged Ireland to also withdraw support for the EU proposal, arguing that both measures would set dangerous precedents.
As Ireland prepares to assume the EU Council presidency in July 2026, Polk said the country has “a unique opportunity to champion strong encryption and digital safety rather than undermine it.”
“The privacy and security of all European citizens, and beyond, will be at risk if Ireland proceeds,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation has announced the launch of a 47-member Privacy Clustercoordinated by Blockscout founder, Igor Barinov.
The initiative expands on efforts dating back to 2018 through the Privacy and Scaling Explorations team, which has built over 50 open-source research projects and released key primitives, including Semaphore for anonymous signaling, MACI for private voting, and zkEmail.
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