Thorsten Frei, the head of the German Chancellery and a member of the CDU, announced that a new law for the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) will be introduced this year. He told the “Tagesspiegel” that the cabinet decision on the BND law will be pursued “as soon as possible”.
Frei, who also serves as the Federal Government’s official for intelligence agencies, said that the increasing global threat environment requires stronger spy services. He stressed that the BND’s financial, personnel, and technical resources must be upgraded quickly. “We also need to shape our legal toolbox so that our services can respond appropriately to new challenges” he explained.
Concrete proposals include allowing the BND to jam communications during drone attacks and to shut down the crypto wallets of hostile agents. “We live in a world of varied threats” Frei said. “It is no longer enough to merely collect and assess information and respond defensively”.
The reform would also permit the intelligence agencies to retain and analyze digital data for longer periods. Frei acknowledged that the legislation might touch areas not yet regulated by the constitution. “In my view, the balance between individual freedoms and security interests must be reassessed in light of the current threat situation” he said. He argued that personal data protection should yield to broader security needs, and that this relationship must be recalibrated “as quickly as possible”.