European officials and civil groups have criticized the proposed new powers for the EU Border Police, Frontex, which include monitoring social media, describing it as a threat to freedom of expression.
New Social Media Monitoring Plan
The European Commission's proposal on Tuesday for a major overhaul and reforms in the Border and Coast Guard Agency includes a clear and broad mandate for monitoring social media to collect information that may assist in illegal crossings of EU borders.
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Brando Benifei, an Italian Social Democrat representative, stated that while the removal of online advertisements for human trafficking is acceptable, this extensive monitoring of social media goes beyond acceptable limits and leads to the surveillance of online speech under the oversight of a border agency.
Criticism and Concerns About Privacy
Benifei also referenced a precedent where a surveillance tender was canceled in 2019 due to criticisms regarding privacy violations. He noted that the Commission is now proposing a similar approach to the surveillance practices of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has faced significant criticism.
According to the EU proposal, Frontex must establish an internal structure for monitoring social media and report content that they believe contributes to illegal entry into EU countries to the relevant platforms. This action comes as the Commission is attempting to double the agency's budget for the next seven years and expand its powers to deport individuals.
Many European officials, including Piotr Müller, a right-wing representative from Poland, emphasized the need for precision in focusing on criminal networks, adding that Frontex should be pursuing traffickers and human smugglers, not monitoring opinions on migration.
Meanwhile, Regina Doherty, a center-right representative from Ireland, stressed the need for appropriate tools to address threats at Europe's borders, stating that better monitoring and information sharing could help tackle these challenges.
However, concerns were raised about the impact of these measures on freedom of expression and assembly, with some representatives calling for a balance in this area so that individuals or officials cannot easily monitor specific content.
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