The German Bundestag has approved a major reform of the countryʼs intelligence services, which will, in particular, allow the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) to carry out sabotage operations abroad and listen to telephone conversations.
This is reported by Die Welt.
German intelligence services had previously had significantly fewer powers than intelligence agencies in other European countries and the United States. Such restrictions were introduced to prevent a repeat of the abuses of the Nazi regime.
Germanyʼs intelligence services can now carry out cyberattacks to disrupt adversariesʼ infrastructure, redirect internet traffic, delete data they plan to use for attacks, and spread false information.
However, for the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, such operations are only possible if the police cannot carry out these tasks. In exceptional cases, the intelligence services will also be able to recruit minors.
If German agents find stolen data on foreign hackersʼ servers, they will be able to delete it themselves under certain conditions. Previously, Germanyʼs Federal Intelligence Service mainly collected information. Now it will be allowed to act independently.
However, these tools will only be used when security gaps cannot be closed in any other way. For example, when information from foreign partner intelligence services is prohibited from being passed on to the police.
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