Berlin police will be allowed to secretly enter private homes to install spyware, after the German House of Representatives approved sweeping changes to the city’s police law.
Backed by the governing CDU-SPD coalition and opposition AfD, the law gives police broad new powers over both physical and digital surveillance.
The new law allows the authorities to secretly enter a suspect’s home to install spyware if remote access isn’t possible. Berlin police can now legally conduct physical break-ins for digital surveillance.
The updated rules also allow phones and computers to be hacked to monitor communication. Police can also turn on their body-cams inside private homes if they believe someone is in serious danger.
Passed on Thursday, the law also expands surveillance in public areas. The authorities can now collect phone data from everyone in a location, scan license plates, and counter drones.
They can use facial and voice recognition to identify people from surveillance images. Real police data can also be used to train AI. Critics say this risks misuse and intrudes on private life. Interior Senator Iris Spranger of the SPD party has defended the move.
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.
Berlin has seen a rise in crime. In 2024, police recorded over 539,000 offenses – more than the year before. Violent crimes such as assault and domestic violence also increased.
Officials say there is a growing problem with crimes involving young people and migrants, especially in large cities. More than half of all crimes go unsolved. Opposition to the law has grown since its passage.
During the debate, Green Party MP Vasili Franco said the law feels like a wish list for a state with excessive control over its citizens. Civil rights groups call the expanded use of AI and facial recognition a massive attack on civil liberties.
The NoASOG campaign alliance also strongly criticized the reform, saying: What is being sold as security policy is in reality the establishment of an authoritarian surveillance state.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2025.
And people thought Hitler was a bad guy. Amazing. What’s this sad world coming to?
The return of the Nazi’s with ‘Big brother’ surveillance (although it does sound like a lot of crime is going on in the country.)
The only thing that I agree with from the article is that police may now have their body cams on whilst in a private residence.
That is good for the protection of the cops and the citizens, as long as the citizens can demand the video through freedom of access.
The rest of it is just 100% Grade AAA Prime cow flop. It is going back to the days of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), East Germany, perhaps even the days of that little failed Austrian painter with the funny mustache.
This is just a public announcement of what has been happening from day one. There are no laws prohibiting it and never was.
Never fear spy camera/microphone detectors are available commercially. Small handheld battery operated very wide band they can pick up transmissions from near audio frequencies to 2gH eBay sells them from £12 -£130 they can pick up GPS transmissions/modem transmissions /wi-fi etc etc as well as direct transmissions . I bought one 20 years ago and if you have electronic knowledge I can direct you to self build types if you can read circuit diagrams which I can but its easier buying one. I agree its OTT breaking into your home but its been going on for many decades by government… Read more »
As you explained, tracking device were installed long time ago, but only now people became aware of it, so governments create new laws to protect themselves against privacy intrusions.