Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced that in the fight against terrorists and serious criminals, the government will rely heavily on automated data analysis and the matching of biometric data. Dobrindt stated that using advanced automated data analysis will make investigations “faster, sharper, and more structured” according to reports from the Funke-Mediengruppe. He added that this technology makes it possible to detect, fully understand, and strategically follow criminal networks, structures, and connections. Furthermore, Dobrindt noted that leveraging biometric data matching will enable police and the constitution protection service to precisely check and identify individuals who are sought after. He emphasized the state’s resolve, declaring, “Anyone who wishes to damage our society will run into a strong state; one that is decisively deployed and effective in its results”.
To implement these measures, Dobrindt plans to submit a corresponding legislative draft focusing on enhanced digital investigation powers to the federal cabinet next week. According to the Interior Ministry, this reform aims to grant authorities powers for automated data analysis, biometric internet matching, and the testing and training of IT products. In the planned law draft, automated data analysis is identified as a “central component for processing the constantly growing amounts of data required for police crime prevention and investigation procedures”. This analysis will allow authorities to establish connections between crimes, people, locations, and the relevant contact points, using data that has already been legally collected by the police.
In addition to these proposals, the federal government had already passed legislation in the previous week that reinstitutes the ability to store IP addresses. An IP address allows investigators to determine which device transmitted certain information. Dobrindt intends for this to significantly aid investigators in combating serious internet-related crimes, such as the dissemination of misuse images or cyber fraud. The reform mandates that internet service providers store IP addresses for a period of three months.