The Bundestag's Interior Committee has approved an amended draft bill reforming the 1994 Federal Police Act to grant the Federal Police expanded digital surveillance powers. Under the proposed reforms, police will be permitted to use artificial intelligence for real-time biometric detection, automatically matching live camera footage at airports, train stations, and border zones with data on wanted individuals. The legislation also introduces automated threat detection to analyse movement patterns and authorises the use of state trojans to read encrypted messages on targeted end devices. Additionally, the Federal Police will receive expanded authority to track mobile devices and collect usage and location data. While civil rights groups warn the measures create a surveillance infrastructure, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has defended the reform as essential for tackling modern crime.

Background: Biometrics and Identification

← Back to the news feed