Schleswig-Holstein Proposes Sweeping Police Law Amendments Including Driver Surveillance

• The Schleswig-Holstein government is proposing new amendments to its police law, significantly expanding surveillance and data analysis powers.
• Key measures include automated video surveillance of drivers to detect electronic device usage and the deployment of armed drones.
• Legislative proposals also broaden the scope for secret audio and video recordings while exempting certain data analysis tools from reporting requirements.

Automated Traffic Surveillance

• The government plans to use software to film inside moving vehicles to identify drivers using phones or other electronic devices.
• Surveillance involves recording frontal views of drivers and passengers regardless of suspicion.
• While initially intended as random spot checks, high-offense areas may be subjected to permanent monitoring.
• The policy aims to improve traffic safety, though privacy concerns persist regarding the scale of data collection on innocent individuals.

Expanded Police Powers and Surveillance

• Armed Drones: Police are authorized to use drones equipped with non-lethal force, such as nets, to neutralize hostile drones.
• Secret Monitoring: Legal thresholds for conducting secret audio or video surveillance are being lowered. These measures could apply to cases involving sexual self-determination or threats to infrastructure defined as "vital to the community," potentially encompassing protest activities like road blockades.
• Data Analysis: The use of Palantir-style data analysis software is being removed from legislative reporting requirements for high-intensity police interventions, reducing transparency for such operations.