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German Court Abolishes German Snooping Law

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the a-few-governmental-officials-with-good-sense-left dept.

Robert writes to mention that Germany's highest court has imposed limitations on the amount of spying governmental bodies can do on a suspect's computer. The ruling comes in response to a state law on North Rhine Westphalia that had allowed secret services to peer into a citizen's computer. "Court President Hans-Juergen Papier said that using such software contravened rights enshrined in Germany's constitution, adding that the decision would serve as a precedent across the country. The ruling emphasized that cyber spying by the authorities would have to receive the permission of a judge. The German government has described cyber spying as a vital tool in fighting terrorism."

5 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. SLASHDOT SUX0RZ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    _0_
    \''\
    '=o='
    .|!|
    .| |
         wir spielen goatse

  2. Ummmm.... by texspeed · · Score: -1, Troll

    does anyone see the irony in the former Nazi and (partially) Communist country protecting rights that are supposed to also be constitutionally protected in the US as well?

  3. Correction to German Government statement by davidwr · · Score: 1, Troll

    The German government has described cyber spying as a vital tool in fighting terrorism. Correction:

    The German government has described cyber spying as a vital tool in ensuring totalitarianism. There, fixed that for them.
    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  4. Re:you live and you learn by LingNoi · · Score: 1, Troll
    and if you're a Crytek employee you get a shotgun up your nose with a screaming German police officer on the other side..

    When I tell people in Germany what I do for a living, they usually react with a mixture of pity and disgust, like I had admitted to them I was a male prostitute.

    For computer games both the press and public are histrionic, and the politicians are keen to tap into every reactionary outrage...
    Yeah... sounds like a great place to live..
  5. EJp?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    is EFNet, And you failure, its corpse 800 mhz machine Dim. Due to the