The Local Germany

German agent 'spying for US'

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 10:00:00 +0200

UPDATE: Media reports on Friday said that an employee of Germany's foreign intelligence service is suspected of spying for Washington on a parliamentary panel probing US surveillance.

Parliament to tighten up spy service scrutiny

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:42:00 +0100

The German parliament plans to tighten its oversight of the country's intelligence services in a attempt to win back voters' trust after the NSA and NSU scandals.

Police 'powerless' to stop phones at the wheel

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 09:55:00 +0100

Police admitted on Tuesday they were powerless to stop German drivers using their smartphones at the wheel and that the number of people doing so was going up.

Air bosses allow mobile devices at take-off

Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:31:00 +0100

The Germany-based European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Wednesday it would be allowing passengers to use a range of mobile electronic devices in flight with very few restrictions.

One in four jealous of partner's phone

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:21:00 +0100

One in four Germans are jealous of their partner's smartphone and see it as a rival for attention, a study released on Wednesday revealed.

EU roaming charges 'to go by July 2016'

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:21:00 +0200

After months of waiting, the EU finally announced the date when mobile phone roaming charges will be scrapped. There should be no extra charge on calls, texts or internet by July 2016.

German email providers unite against spying

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 13:00:00 +0200

Germany's three biggest email providers announced on Friday a partnership to bolster the security of messages sent between them in the wake of revelations of US online surveillance scandal.

Cyber thieves plunder 250,000 accounts

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:32:00 +0200

Online identity theft has exploded in the past months, with a growing number of thieves using social networks, online banking or shopping sites to steal from German bank accounts – often without anyone noticing.

Spying fears prompt talk of cabinet phone ban

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:20:00 +0200

Fear of being snooped on by the US secret service would see mobile phones banned from cabinet meetings if the opposition wins September's election, Chancellor Angela Merkel's rival said on Tuesday.

'Serious security flaws' in Vodafone routers

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:00:00 +0200

Serious security flaws in a number of Vodafone internet routers could mean hackers could easily tap into customers' online data, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said on Tuesday.

Ibiza phone thief 'world's most stupid'

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 17:06:00 +0200

A German tourist who had her mobile stolen on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza has set up a hilarious blog with pictures and videos taken by the thief on her device which are automatically uploaded to her computer.

E-Plus and O2 merger set to create phone giant

Tue, 23 Jul 2013 16:20:00 +0200

German mobile phone operator E-Plus has been sold to Spain's Telefonica, to be merged with the O2 brand, creating the biggest operator in Germany, it was announced on Tuesday.

Germany launches probe into US spying ties

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:15:00 +0200

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government Monday announced a probe into ties between its secret services and US agencies whose sweeping online surveillance was revealed by fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

Merkel at press grilling: it's a free country

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 16:25:00 +0200

Chancellor Angela Merkel said "Germany is not a surveillance state" and insisted she only learnt of sweeping US online snooping through press reports, during a lengthy election-campaign press conference Friday.

German police raid Nazi 'Werewolf' lairs

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 15:26:00 +0200

Police launched raids in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland Wednesday against six suspected members of a far-right "Werewolf" cell modelled on late-World War II plans for a Nazi guerrilla resistance.

EU cap to crush mobile roaming costs

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:44:00 +0200

Happy holidays once again courtesy of the EU, as a new, lower cap on was slapped on the cost of Europe-wide roaming mobile calls and internet from Monday.

Crazy Frog 'squashed by subtle ringtones'

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 15:18:00 +0200

The Crazy Frog, plague of public transport and bars just a few years ago, is dead, a German expert has declared. The irritating ringtones that many delighted in downloading to their newfangled mobile phones have all but disappeared. Praise be.

Scientists: fear of illness can make you sick

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:06:00 +0200

The fear of becoming ill from something which emits electromagnetic waves, like a mobile phone or high-voltage power lines, can in itself actually make some people to develop symptoms, German scientists report.

Telekom sparks ire with plans to throttle internet

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:20:00 +0200

German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom has triggered outcry from politicians and customers after announcing it would put a data limit on flat rate internet plans.

Teachers try to weed out high-tech cheaters

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:16:00 +0200

As 12th grade students approach their Abitur final examinations, schools are taking special precautions to make sure kids don’t cheat - especially since high tech advances have created other ways to do so.