Germany's Push to Expand Intelligence Powers and Gut Transparency Laws

• The Merz government's proposed expansion of intelligence agency powers and weakening of the Freedom of Information Act (IFG) pose a significant threat to democracy.
• Interior Minister Dobrindt is pushing to significantly broaden the powers of the BND and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution while reducing transparency and external oversight.
• Evidence suggests a targeted effort to exclude journalists and transparency platforms like 'FragDenStaat' from using the IFG to access government data.

Expansion of Intelligence Powers

• The proposed intelligence reform faces widespread criticism, with experts like former Federal Data Protection Commissioner Ulrich Kelber labeling the plan an "unbalanced and dangerous" move that is incompatible with a liberal democracy.
• The government's approach assumes that those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear, a stance that contradicts the concurrent efforts to restrict institutional transparency.

Dismantling the Freedom of Information Act (IFG)

• The IFG has been a vital democratic achievement over the last 20 years, effectively ending the legacy of Prussian-style administrative secrecy.
• Proposed amendments by the Union and SPD include adding new exemptions, removing fee caps, and drastically restricting who can file information requests.
• Internal documents from the Interior Ministry reported by MDR indicate that since at least February 2026, the ministry has been working specifically to exclude journalists and transparency organizations from public information processes.

Impact on Civil Society and Journalism

• Platforms like 'FragDenStaat' have made it significantly easier for citizens and journalists to hold authorities accountable, with over 130,000 users to date.
• Investigative outlets, including netzpolitik.org, rely on the IFG to uncover state misconduct, such as the recent revelation that German state criminal investigation offices have been purchasing illegally sourced data from brokers.
• The attack on transparency mechanisms represents an authoritarian transformation of the state, shifting the focus away from policy substance toward consolidating executive power.