Germany’s government has approved a roughly 700-page draft law that would give the country’s intelligence services far wider powers, including surveillance tools and the ability to strike back with cyber operations. The bill is a response to a rising number of Russian hybrid attacks against Germany and Europe.
DR reports that the German cabinet has signed off on the proposal, which still needs approval in parliament. If passed, the services would be allowed to conduct cyberattacks and spread disinformation in response to attacks such as hacking. The bill would also make it easier for them to monitor people inside Germany.
Thomas Wegener Friis, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark and a researcher on the German intelligence services, told DR the reform is a long-awaited modernization. According to him, it covers easier access to telecommunications surveillance, longer data retention, and the ability to respond to sabotage and hacking. He added that it would also let the foreign intelligence service operate inside Germany and expand cooperation between the different agencies.
Opposition points to the Gestapo
The bill is opposed by parts of the German opposition. Ulrich Thoden, defense spokesperson for Die Linke, said the proposal expands the powers of the services while diluting oversight of them, as reported by DR. He described the restraint on intelligence powers as a bitter lesson from German history, in particular from the Gestapo.
Friis said the criticism resonates widely in Germany, because the Nazi era shaped the political values of the modern republic. He noted that the Free Democrats, Die Linke and the Greens place strong emphasis on the rule of law. Similar concerns exist within the governing party, he said, but with a more pragmatic approach to the security challenges.
Leipzig drone case in the background
DR presents the reform as an answer to years of Russian hybrid warfare, and points to a recent case in Germany. In early August, a drone carrying a significant quantity of plastic explosive was found at Leipzig airport, close to a Ukrainian cargo plane. German media have since reported that it failed to detonate because of a fault in the detonator.
Reuters reported that a bus driver knocked the explosive-laden drone out of the air, and that federal prosecutors later called it a serious attack on transport and logistics infrastructure. Deutsche Welle reported that prosecutors said professional explosives and a detonator were attached to the drone, and that Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt did not rule out foreign involvement.
American intelligence believes Russia was behind the drone, according to The Guardian. The BBC notes that there is no proof at this stage tying the drone directly to Russia. Denmark has also blamed Russia for drone and hybrid attacks on its territory.
