German cabinet reform grants intelligence agencies unprecedented powers

Published Aug 11, 05:56 PM UTC

The German federal cabinet is set to pass a major reform granting the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution expanded powers, described as a 'second turning point' akin to Bundeswehr rearmament. Agents will be allowed to break into apartments, sabotage factories abroad, automatically search the internet, and access data from all surveillance cameras in Germany. The reform tears down a post-Nazi boundary separating intelligence work from police powers, drawing criticism over historical parallels to the Gestapo and Stasi. While the government denies a 'license to kill,' the BND would be permitted to sabotage arms factories and disable military equipment abroad. Affected individuals will have limited legal recourse, as services remain hidden and no post-operation notification is required. The reform aims to address intelligence failures highlighted by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and domestic attack prevention reliance on foreign tips.

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