Rabat – Germany’s government has approved major intelligence reforms, giving the spy agencies expanded authority to hack communications, gather data, and disrupt foreign adversaries’ operations.
The proposal also broadens the authority of both Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) and its domestic security agency (BfV) to take active measures against security threats, allowing them to take active measures against security threats and use artificial intelligence to analyze larger amounts of information.
Defending the new measures, which have been under discussion for months, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that Germany must adapt to modern security risks, saying: “We are transforming our intelligence services into genuine secret services.”
Emphasizing the need for international parity, Dobrindt said Germany must sharpen its intelligence capabilities and stand on equal footing with other major intelligence services.
German intelligence officials have also warned that limited powers have left Berlin behind its foreign counterparts.
The reforms come amid a series of security incidents, including the discovery of an explosive drone at Leipzig airport, as threats from Russia and Iran intensify alongside growing risks to critical infrastructure and military sites.
From gathering to active operations
Under the proposed reforms, German intelligence agencies would move beyond their traditional focus on gathering and analyzing information.
With strict oversight, the measures would allow the BND to infiltrate hostile IT systems, retrieve or erase data, and disable foreign cyber tools. Agencies could also disrupt hostile infrastructure and covertly neutralize explosives to preserve ongoing surveillance operations.
According to The Guardian, the proposed reforms would also permit intelligence officers to manipulate data involved in hostile operations, block payments to individuals working for foreign governments, and expand the use of artificial intelligence to collect, store, and analyze information
Concerns over constitutional limits
The reforms have drawn sharp concern from civil liberties groups and opposition lawmakers, who warn that expanded surveillance threatens privacy rights and tests Germany’s constitutional limits on intelligence agencies.
Warning that parts of the 700-plus-page bill could violate the constitution, the German Society for Civil Rights singled out specific privacy concerns. The group highlighted provisions allowing expanded access to video surveillance, biometric matching, and using intelligence data to train AI systems.
The legislation still requires parliamentary approval before taking effect. If passed, the overhaul would mark Germany’s largest intelligence reform since World War II, potentially reshaping agency operations as early as 2027.
