Thorsten Frei, the head of the Chancellery and a senior CDU official, announced that a new law for the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND) will be introduced within the year. In a conversation with “Tagesspiegel”, Frei said, “We aim to secure the cabinet decision on the BND law as soon as possible”.
Citing the escalating global threat environment, Frei, who also serves as the federal commissioner for intelligence services, argued that a robust intelligence apparatus is essential. He emphasized that the BND’s financial, personnel, and technical resources must be rapidly expanded. In addition, the legal framework must be designed so that the service can effectively respond to emerging challenges.
Specifically, the proposed legislation would allow the BND to jam radio frequencies during drone attacks and to disable the crypto wallets of hostile agents. Frei noted that “we live in a world of diverse threats, and simply collecting and assessing information while remaining purely defensive is no longer sufficient”.
The reform also aims to permit intelligence agencies to retain and analyze digital data for longer periods. Frei acknowledged that this could involve legislation in areas that are not yet constitutionally regulated. “The balance between freedom and security must be reassessed continuously based on the prevailing threat landscape” he said. He made it clear that personal data protection should be subordinated to broader security needs, and urged a swift recalibration of that balance.
