The Federal Government plans to significantly expand the powers of the domestic intelligence services, as reported by “Der Spiegel”. According to details provided by the magazine, the Ministry of the Interior, led by Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), intends to allow the federal office to secretly penetrate the computers and mobile phones of target individuals and conduct online searches.
Furthermore, the expansion will permit the use of so-called “Artificial Intelligence” to identify crucial evidence within vast datasets, as well as the deployment of facial recognition software. A corresponding draft law is expected to be introduced soon, and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is also set to receive increased authority.
Marc Henrichmann (CDU), the chair of the Parliamentary Control Committee in the Bundestag, told “Der Spiegel” that the current powers of German intelligence services date back to “the analog era” and are therefore insufficient for today’s dynamic threat landscape.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD parliamentary spokesperson in the Bundestag, warned that Putin’s sphere of influence is already characterized by a war waged against Europe, and underestimating this danger jeopardizes national security.
Adding to the strategic discussions, Sinan Selen, President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, recently announced plans to restructure his agency into a dedicated “defense service”. Under this mandate, the office will focus intensely on counter-espionage, tackling terrorists, and addressing anti-constitutional extremists to disrupt their plans at the earliest possible stages. Selen highlighted the necessity of achieving both “detection and disruption”.
