The German cabinet approved the secret service reform today. It will now go to Parliament in September. Today’s decision has been preceded by the timely incident of a drone discovered at the Leipzig airport, with the media using the incident to stage a campaign in favor of the so-called reform.
“With the reform of the intelligence services, we are effectively revolutionizing Germany’s security architecture,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt emphasized. “We are transforming our intelligence services into true secret services.”
Nina Warken, responsible for intelligence service in the Chancellor’s office, said that the military intelligence BND will gain “greater access” to IT systems for intelligence-gathering purposes—"ranging from smart home appliances, such as a refrigerator, to private cell phones, laptops, or other hardware.”
