Berlin Expands Police Powers for Digital, Physical Surveillance

(MENAFN) Berlin authorities will now be permitted to covertly enter private residences to install spyware, following approval of extensive reforms to the city’s police regulations by the German House of Representatives.

Supported by the ruling CDU-SPD coalition and the opposition AfD, the legislation grants law enforcement wide-ranging authority over both physical and digital monitoring.

Under the new law, officials can secretly access a suspect’s home to deploy spyware when remote infiltration is not feasible. Berlin police are now legally empowered to perform physical break-ins for digital surveillance purposes.

Additionally, the updated regulations allow the hacking of phones and computers to track communications.

Officers can also activate body cameras inside private homes if they suspect someone is in immediate danger.

Enacted on Thursday, the law further broadens surveillance in public spaces. Authorities may now gather phone data from all individuals in a specific area, scan vehicle license plates, and counter drone activity.

Surveillance tools such as facial and voice recognition can be used to identify people from images, and real police data may be employed to train AI systems. Critics warn that these measures could be abused and represent a significant intrusion into personal privacy.

Interior Senator Iris Spranger of the SPD party defended the legislation, stating, “With the biggest reform of the Berlin Police Law in decades, we are creating a significant plus for the protection of Berliners. We are giving law enforcement better tools to fight terrorism and organized crime.”

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