New Eu Surveillance Law Would Ban Vpns Messaging Apps And All Services That Dont Spy On Users Sanction Non-Complying Providers And The Eu Is Asking You For Feedback

# New EU Surveillance Law and Your Feedback: Self-Hosting Solutions for Privacy-Conscious Users

In response to the impending EU law banning VPNs, messaging apps, and services that don’t adhere to user surveillance, this guide provides a practical solution for self-hosting your infrastructure. By following these steps, you can take control of your data and maintain privacy in compliance with the new regulations.

Prerequisites

To implement this self-hosted solution, you will require:

1. A system running Ubuntu 20.04 or higher (you may use a dedicated server or a VM)
2. Docker CE version 5.0.8 or later
3. A domain name and SSL certificate for your services

Setting Up Your Self-Hosted Infrastructure

1. Install Docker

   curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
   sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install docker-ce=5.0.8 docker-ce-cli containerd.io
   

2. Configure Docker Create a daemon.json configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/docker/daemon.json
   

   Add the following content to enable logging, and save the file:

   {
       "log-driver": "json-file",
       "log-opts": {
           "max-size": "10m"
       }
   }
   

3. Restart Docker

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl restart docker
   

4. Install Docker Compose

   sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
   

5. Create Your Service Configuration Create a docker-compose.yml file with your desired services, such as Nextcloud, Rocket.Chat, or ProtonMail. Each service will require its own configuration and environment variables for correct functionality. (You can find configuration examples on their respective repositories.)

6. Start Your Services

   docker-compose up -d
   

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter errors, ensure that your service configurations are valid and compatible with the required versions of software.
• Check the Docker logs for error messages: docker logs [service_name].
• Verify that your services are accessible via the domain name you’ve configured.

Conclusion

By self-hosting your privacy-conscious applications, you can maintain control over your data and ensure compliance with the new EU surveillance law. With open-source tools like Docker and Compose, infrastructure automation has never been easier. Stay informed about the evolving digital privacy landscape and always prioritize security in your DevOps practices.