During its cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the German government approved a legislative draft concerning the storage of IP addresses, as announced by the Federal Ministry of Justice. This measure mandates that internet service providers must retain their customers’ IP addresses for a period of three months. The stated goal of this requirement is to facilitate the investigation of internet-related crimes, such as child abuse and cyber fraud.
The draft legislation specifies that the data retention will be limited solely to IP addresses and port numbers, explicitly excluding other traffic data. According to the ministry, the creation of online movement profiles will remain prohibited. Law enforcement agencies would only be able to request information in specific cases, determining which account holder was associated with a particular IP address at a given time.
Stefanie Hubig, the Federal Minister of Justice (SPD), commented that the digital space should not be a “paradise for criminals”. She noted that numerous crimes-including child abuse, online fraud, and digital violence-remain unsolved due to the lack of crucial evidence such as IP addresses. Implementing this draft, she stated, presents an opportunity to bring about a reasonable resolution to a twenty-year debate balancing freedom and security online.
