Concerns over Proposed Expansion of German Intelligence Powers

• The Humanistische Union (HU) has issued a sharp critique of the German government's draft law to significantly expand the powers of federal intelligence agencies (BND and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution).
• The proposal aims to transform these agencies into operational bodies capable of active intervention, effectively blurring the lines between intelligence gathering and police work.
• Key concerns include the authorization of 'hackbacks,' access to private and public video surveillance, and extensive biometric data processing.

Threats to Professional Secrecy and Rights

• The 732-page draft is criticized for undermining the confidentiality of professional relationships, including those of doctors, journalists, and lawyers.
• The HU argues that these measures essentially erode professional privilege and threaten press freedom by allowing intelligence services to monitor sensitive communications.

Erosion of Oversight Mechanisms

• The reform proposes shifting oversight away from the G10 Commission and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection (BfDI), centralizing it under an 'independent control council' (UKRat).
• Critics warn that this restructuring lacks the necessary technical and data protection expertise previously provided by the BfDI.
• Alarm is also raised regarding the suspension of logging requirements during declared state-of-tension periods, which would make retrospective legal review of covert operations nearly impossible.

Conclusion and Demands

• The HU describes the legislation as a major step toward a surveillance state, arguing that while some updates are necessary to satisfy constitutional requirements, the current proposal represents a disproportionate paradigm shift that should be rejected.