German Cabinet to discuss intelligence service reforms granting more powers

The German Cabinet is set to discuss reforms to the country’s intelligence services on Wednesday that would introduce new and broader powers.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt will present the reform to the Cabinet, which aims to transform the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution into a full-fledged intelligence service with far-reaching powers, daily BILD reported Tuesday.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution has reportedly been primarily responsible for collecting and evaluating information, with interventions reserved for police and security authorities since its founding.

With the reform, Dobrindt aims to turn the office into a more offensive actor.

"The hybrid threat situation, attempts to destabilize through sabotage, espionage, cyberattacks and covert actions by foreign powers are receiving a new response. We are turning our intelligence services into real secret services," he told BILD.

The draft law would allow the office to disrupt ongoing operations by terrorists, saboteurs or foreign agents, redirect data traffic and specifically interfere with technical systems. It could also be authorized to render means of attack harmless or replace bombs intended for attacks with nonfunctional replicas.

The agency will also receive completely new digital tools and will be allowed to infiltrate computers and smartphones, conduct online searches and gain broader access to communications and video data.

"It is high time that we make ourselves competitive and operate on an equal footing with our partner services around the world. This requires operational capabilities and active powers to act more effectively against modern state terrorism and extremist groups," Dobrindt further said.