German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is calling for police to be given the power to conduct secret searches in certain cases, according to a bill published on Wednesday.
The bill, currently being discussed by the German government, would allow officers from the German Criminal Police (BKA) to secretly search homes in the event of a “concrete threat of a terrorist attack”.
Under the bill, a BKA search would require a court order and would only be conducted if it is the only way to avert an imminent danger without seriously jeopardizing the success of a criminal investigation.
It also includes new authorizations for the evaluation and comparison of images, including using artificial intelligence (AI).
An Interior Ministry spokeswoman said the bill does not allow for “real-time surveillance and real-time facial recognition in public spaces.”
The draft stated that covert operations could help prevent crimes, for example by replacing ammunition with blanks or by replacing materials used in the production of explosives.
It also said that physical access to IT devices is the “safest and fastest way to deploy the software needed to access information technology systems.” The measure would be “used exclusively to combat the dangers of international terrorism.”
