Global Security Challenge

Germany About to Enact Tougher Surveillance Tools for Police

Germany's government decided on a new law that would give police more rights to conduct online searches, video surveillance of homes and phone monitoring.

Of course, the Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is a big supporter of this draft law that still needs to be approved by parliament. According to Reuters, he said the new law would strengthen the means available to Germany's Federal Crime Office (BKA) to investigate terrorist suspects and fight international crime. "The threat to our country has made it necessary to give the BKA such rights to counter threats," Schaeuble said.  
    
The same Reuters article also mentioned a forsa-poll revealing that 48% of Germans considered this law a necessary means to fight crime while 46% said it was a disproportionate hindrance to rights of freedom. Drawing the line between privacy and equipping the police with necessary tools is quite a challenge, isn't it?

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