The federal cabinet has approved a comprehensive reform of Germany’s intelligence services. For the first time, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) will be allowed to intervene operationally in clearly limited cases. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said the goal is to be able to “act actively against our adversaries.”
Specifically, the BND could manipulate the IT infrastructure of a foreign power during an ongoing cyber or disinformation attack. Employees of the domestic intelligence service could enter an apartment to swap explosive components for harmless powder. The head of the Chancellery, Nina Warken (CDU), stressed that Germany cannot permanently rely on friendly foreign services and must no longer “lag behind those of other European partners.”
The core of the reform is additional powers in the digital sphere, which are to take effect next year if the Bundestag approves. These include online searches and expanded source telecommunications surveillance (TKÜ), which allows reading encrypted communications. The more extensive the access, the higher the requirements and controls should be. The Independent Control Council is to regularly inform members of parliament in the Parliamentary Control Panel.
Dobrindt spoke of a development “towards real intelligence services” and pointed to increasing espionage, sabotage, and attack risks, especially from Russian actors. Critics fear that the strict separation between intelligence services and police will be weakened.
Source: www.zeit.de
