Germany is drafting a major bill that will radically expand the powers of the Federal Intelligence Service, known by its acronym BND, as reported by Cybernews.
The reform is aimed at combating cybercrime and strengthening online surveillance, including the ability to fully intercept content and store data for six months for subsequent indexing and analysis. Berlin emphasizes that these changes are necessary to gain greater autonomy and reduce dependence on American intelligence. Additionally, it will allow German intelligence services to operate on the same level as their counterparts in the UK, France, and other European countries.
The new law effectively grants federal services more authority to conduct offensive hacking operations both domestically and abroad. One key innovation will be the ability to access information from foreign providers if they refuse to cooperate voluntarily. This will affect major American corporations such as Google, X, and Meta, which have previously tried to protect their users’ data from government requests. Experts note that such measures could worsen relations between Germany and American tech giants, especially if access to data is obtained forcibly.
In addition to digital surveillance, BND’s powers will also expand in the physical realm. The agency will be allowed to enter apartments to install special spyware directly on suspects’ devices. Previously, such methods were available only to law enforcement. Now intelligence will be able to work directly with foreign nationals residing in Germany if there are suspicions of espionage, terrorism, or involvement in cyber threats.
Journalists will also come under close scrutiny, especially those working for foreign state media. The 139-page document effectively doubles the current powers of the BND, signaling a deep reorganization of Germany’s entire national security system.
