The Bundestag has passed the controversial reform of the intelligence services. On Friday, 309 members of parliament voted in favor of the relevant bill, 190 against, and 71 abstentions.
Previously, intelligence services were allowed primarily to collect information, with the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) operating abroad and the Verfassungsschutz operating domestically. In the future, they will also be able to act and intervene actively. For example, the services may be allowed to “hack back” during a cyber attack and paralyze the server of the alleged hackers. Objects or data may also be manipulated.
Sharp criticism has come from the opposition. Clara Bünger, spokesperson for the Linke on domestic policy, described it as a “new German secret police.” This lifts the historical separation principle between police and intelligence agencies for the federal government. Bünger argues that if the Verfassungsschutz secretly enters homes without judicial control and uses “extensive AI surveillance” in the future, an “uncontrollable apparatus” will be created that tramples on fundamental rights. According to Bünger, this violates the constitution. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is the figure related to this critique.
