The German federal government passed a draft law concerning the storage of IP addresses during its cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to the Federal Ministry of Justice. Under this proposal, internet service providers will be required to store their customers’ IP addresses for a period of three months. The stated purpose of this measure is to facilitate the investigation of online crimes, such as child abuse material and cyber fraud.
The draft legislation specifies that the storage must be limited exclusively to IP addresses and port numbers, and explicitly excludes other traffic data. The ministry affirmed that this measure will prevent the creation of behavioral profiles online. Law enforcement agencies will, in any given case, be able to request information linking a specific IP address to the subscriber who owned it at a particular time.
Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) stated that the digital realm cannot be a “paradise for criminals”. She noted that “too many crimes-whether it involves child abuse, online fraud, or digital violence-remain unsolved because crucial traces, such as IP addresses, are missing”. The government framed this draft as a means to achieve a sensible resolution to a twenty-year debate regarding both online freedom and security.