Germany Empowers Spy Agencies for Modern Threats | Europe News

Germany’s cabinet has approved sweeping new powers for its intelligence agencies, empowering them to hack communications and disrupt foreign cyberattacks — a dramatic shift aimed at modernizing national security amid rising hybrid threats. The BND and BfV now gain unprecedented authority to collect data, deploy AI, and sabotage adversary infrastructure, with Interior Minister Dobrindt calling it a “revolution” that transforms Germany’s spy services into true secret operations for the first time. But critics, including Greens lawmaker Konstantin von Notz, warn of rule-of-law risks, especially around domestic surveillance. With recent explosive drone sightings and military site surveillance, officials say the threat is “very acute,” and while parliamentary approval remains pending, the plan includes strict oversight via an independent council — all as civil liberties groups brace for a high-stakes balancing act between safety and freedom. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4964860b639f3cc0