Germany said it would allow state intelligence agencies to access encrypted conversations of users on messaging services such as Messenger or Whatsapp, a move Berlin made in order to combat terrorism.
The cabinet even approved a bill for this purpose, following a series of attacks in the country.
The proposed legislation would allow state intelligence agencies, including military services, to monitor not only ongoing conversations on apps , but also encrypted messages that have already been sent (using “spy software”).
“I cannot accept that security are lagging behind the enemies of our democracy due to a lack of powers,” said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. The minister stressed that the bill is an already “overdue step in the fight against terrorists and extremists.”
He also added that intelligence services should have long ago had the necessary means to deal with such threats in today's digital era, where things have changed a lot compared to the past.
Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (Social Democrat) agreed that authorities and intelligence services must be able to effectively deal with terrorists. The aim of the proposed bill is to prevent crimes and not to monitor ordinary citizens.
The German government has stipulated that the legislation will only be able to be implemented with the agreement of a special parliamentary committee, which oversees everything related to the monitoring of communications by federal intelligence services.
Germany has suffered several terrorist attacks in recent years, particularly by far-right extremists, who often publicized their motives via the Internet.
According to Securityweek, some opposition members have expressed concerns about the monitoring of conversations by secret services, as they consider it a violation of citizens' rights.
