https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany has placed the far-right AfD under surveillance for posing a threat to democracy, local media reported Wednesday, dealing a blow to the anti-immigration party in a big election year. https://www.thelocal.de/20210303/germanys-far-right-afd-placed-under-surveillance Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:19:12 +0100 germanys-far-right-afd-placed-under-surveillance German data protection authorities said Wednesday they fined the Swedish clothing chain more than €35 million over illegal 'surveillance' of its employees. https://www.thelocal.de/20201001/germany-fines-hm-35-mn-euros-for-worker-surveillance Thu, 01 Oct 2020 16:56:30 +0200 germany-fines-hm-35-mn-euros-for-worker-surveillance The popularity rating of Alternative for Germany (AfD) has fallen after Germany’s intelligence agency stepped up surveillance of the party, a new poll shows. https://www.thelocal.de/20190122/afd-drops-in-popularity-greens-on-the-up-according-to-new-poll Tue, 22 Jan 2019 17:03:32 +0100 afd-drops-in-popularity-greens-on-the-up-according-to-new-poll As two youth wings of Alternative for Germany (AfD) are dissolved and politicians call for the whole party to be put under surveillance by authorities, we analyze what's going on. https://www.thelocal.de/20180904/will-the-afd-be-monitored-by-domestic-security-officials-what-you-need-to-know Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:58:06 +0200 will-the-afd-be-monitored-by-domestic-security-officials-what-you-need-to-know Germany's spy agency can monitor major internet hubs if Berlin deems it necessary for strategic security interests, a federal court has ruled. https://www.thelocal.de/20180531/german-spies-can-keep-monitoring-internet-hubs-court-rules Thu, 31 May 2018 14:04:49 +0200 german-spies-can-keep-monitoring-internet-hubs-court-rules On Tuesday, Bavarian politicians are voting on a police law described as the most intrusive in Germany since the Nazi era. The Local took to the streets of Munich to find out why the proposed powers are causing such a fuss. https://www.thelocal.de/20180515/guantanamo-bayern-why-bavarias-tough-new-police-laws-are-so-controversial Tue, 15 May 2018 18:06:01 +0200 guantanamo-bayern-why-bavarias-tough-new-police-laws-are-so-controversial The Bundesnetzagentur is treating smart toys as if they are nefarious spying instruments when they are actually useful devices that help parents stay in touch with their little ones, argues Nick Wallace. https://www.thelocal.de/20180205/germanys-network-agency-should-stop-telling-parents-to-smash-their-kids-toys Mon, 05 Feb 2018 15:23:51 +0100 germanys-network-agency-should-stop-telling-parents-to-smash-their-kids-toys German security authorities are increasingly using mobile phones to secretly locate suspects, according to a media report published on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180124/secret-mobile-phone-surveillance-by-german-authorities-on-the-rise-report Wed, 24 Jan 2018 12:03:42 +0100 secret-mobile-phone-surveillance-by-german-authorities-on-the-rise-report Germany’s Interior Minister wants to force tech and car companies to provide the German security services with hidden digital access to cars, computers, phones and more, according to a media report from Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20171201/german-government-wants-backdoor-access-to-every-digital-device-report Fri, 01 Dec 2017 17:55:47 +0100 german-government-wants-backdoor-access-to-every-digital-device-report Data protectionists have accused the federal government of deceiving volunteers with their new facial recognition software at a Berlin train station. But the Interior Ministry has rejected these claims. https://www.thelocal.de/20170823/berlins-facial-recognition-cameras-criticized-for-collecting-more-data-than-necessary Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:25:22 +0200 berlins-facial-recognition-cameras-criticized-for-collecting-more-data-than-necessary A Berlin train station on Tuesday became the first to test out software that will automatically recognize faces in an effort to fight terrorism. But not everyone sees the project as positive. https://www.thelocal.de/20170802/berlin-launches-controversial-test-of-facial-recognition-cameras-at-train-station Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:28:33 +0200 berlin-launches-controversial-test-of-facial-recognition-cameras-at-train-station Germany on Thursday passed a controversial new law that expands the power of authorities to spy on the content of encrypted message services such as WhatsApp and Skype. https://www.thelocal.de/20170623/germany-expands-surveillance-of-encrypted-message-services Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:32:39 +0200 germany-expands-surveillance-of-encrypted-message-services Should Germany's spy agencies be allowed to watch over minors radicalized by extremist Muslim clerics? That was the question being discussed by interior ministers on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20170613/german-interior-ministers-argue-over-whether-to-spy-on-children Tue, 13 Jun 2017 17:59:17 +0200 german-interior-ministers-argue-over-whether-to-spy-on-children After a marathon sitting lasting the whole week, the German parliament (Bundestag) agreed upon a law on Friday that will relax restrictions on video surveillance in shops, stadiums and stations. https://www.thelocal.de/20170310/germany-passes-law-increasing-video-surveillance-in-public Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:51:11 +0100 germany-passes-law-increasing-video-surveillance-in-public The Interior Ministry has proposed a new law that would allow authorities to more easily read the personal cell phone data of asylum seekers whose identities are hard to prove. https://www.thelocal.de/20170220/interior-ministry-wants-unidentified-refugees-to-hand-over-cell-phone-data Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:52:24 +0100 interior-ministry-wants-unidentified-refugees-to-hand-over-cell-phone-data Angela Merkel famously said there should be no "spying among friends" amid the initial Edward Snowden NSA leaks. But then it emerged that Germany, too, had helped the NSA spy on its allies. On Thursday she faces a parliamentary grilling. https://www.thelocal.de/20170216/no-spying-among-friends-how-merkels-words-on-nsa-spying-came-to-haunt-her Thu, 16 Feb 2017 12:58:34 +0100 no-spying-among-friends-how-merkels-words-on-nsa-spying-came-to-haunt-her A case brought by opposition parties to shed light on the spying collaboration between Germany and the American NSA was rejected by Germany's highest court in a decision made public on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20161115/court-rejects-case-to-reveal-more-about-us-spies-in-germany-nsa Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:14:03 +0100 court-rejects-case-to-reveal-more-about-us-spies-in-germany-nsa The Interior Ministry is drafting a law which will enable public spaces to be filmed for surveillance purposes as a reaction to deadly attacks in July, according to a newspaper report. https://www.thelocal.de/20161026/govt-plans-to-widen-video-surveillance-to-counter-terror Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:55:00 +0200 govt-plans-to-widen-video-surveillance-to-counter-terror Spies should have the right to keep communications data relating to minors aged under 16, a senior member of Germany's domestic intelligence service has said. https://www.thelocal.de/20160506/german-spies-call-for-right-to-keep-tabs-on-teens Fri, 06 May 2016 18:42:58 +0200 german-spies-call-for-right-to-keep-tabs-on-teens Germany's highest court on Wednesday struck down key planks of an anti-terror law, saying they violated privacy protections enshrined in the constitution. https://www.thelocal.de/20160420/anti-terror-powers-unconstitutional-top-court Wed, 20 Apr 2016 13:22:30 +0200 anti-terror-powers-unconstitutional-top-court